Common glossary terms used

This listing gives a short explanation, sometimes by word, sometimes by picture, of the more common botanical terms used on this website and in field-guides and handbooks.

Wing:

Achene:

Acid soil:

Acute:

Alien:

Alternate:

Annual:

Anther:

Appressed:

Arrow-shaped:

Axil:

Basal:

Beak:

Berry:

Bi-pinnate:

Biennial:

Bog:

Bract:

Bulb:

Bulbil:

Calyx:

Capsule:

Carpel:

Catkin:

Chlorophyll:

Clasping:

Cluster:

Composite:

Compound:

Cordate:

Corm:

Corolla:

Crucifer:

Deciduous:

Dentate:

Digitate:

Dioecious:

Disc-floret:

Drupe:

Entire:

Epicalyx:

Epiphyte:

Female:

Fen :

Filament:

Fruit:

Genus:

Glabrous:

Gland:

Glaucous:

Globose:

Hastate:

Herb:

Hips:

Hoary:

Hybrid:

Inflorescence:

Involucre:

Keel:

Kidney-shaped:

Labiate:

Lanceolate:

Latex:

Lax:

Leaflet:

Ligule:

Linear:

Lip:

Lobe:

Lobed:

Male :

Marsh:

Microspecies:

Midrib:

Native:

Nectar:

Nectary:

Node:

Nut:

Obtuse:

Opposite:

Ovary:

Ovate:

Palmate:

Panicle:

Parasite:

Peat:

Pedicel:

Peltate:

Perennial:

Perfoliate:

Perianth:

Petals:

Petiole:

Pinnate:

Pinnately lobed:

Pod:

Pollen:

Procumbent:

Prostrate:

Pubescent:

Raceme:

Ray-floret:

Receptacle:

Recurved:

Rhizome:

Rhomboid:

Rosette:

Runner:

Saprophyte:

Scale:

Seed pod:

Sepal:

Sessile:

Shrub:

Solitary:

Spadix:

Spathe:

Spatulate:

Species:

Spike:

Spreading:

Spur:

Stamen:

Stigma:

Stipule:

Stolon:

Style:

Subspecies:

Succulent:

Tendril:

Toothed:

Trefoil:

Trifoliate:

Truncate:

Tuber:

Tubercle:

Umbel:

Whorl: