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Terms to know (PDF file)
Life Cycle
Annual- Completing life in one year
Biennial- Completing life in 2 years
Perennial- Living 3 or more years
Roots & Root-like Structures
Fibrous- Branching roots lacking a central taproot
Taproot- Thick, unbranched root
Tuber- Fleshy underground storage organ
Bulb- Layered structure made from thickened leaf bases
Corm- Like a bulb, but made from thickened stem
Rhizome- An underground stem, usually segmented, often with roots and/or leaves at nodes
Stem Types and Growth Habit
Epiphytic- Not rooted in the ground, growing on other plants
Mycotrophic (example 1), (example 2)- Parasitic on micorrhizal fungi, sometimes indirectly acquiring nutrients from other plants.
Parasitic (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4)- Attaching to and acquiring nutrients from another plant
Woody- Trees, shrubs or vines with hardened above-ground stems that are capable of new growth after winter
Herbaceous- Annual or perennial, but all aboveground parts of the plant dieing back in winter
Twining (photo)- Vining, twisting stem
Erect- Straight, vertical stem
Scapose (photo)- Having a naked, leafless flowering stem (scape)
Stoloniferous- Creeping by above-ground runner stems (stolons)
Tendril- A coiling structure formed from a stem, leaf, or leaf tip often found on climbing plants
Leaf-Arrangement
Node- The point where a leaf or leaves attach at stem
Cauline- Located on the stem
Basal (photo)- Petioles originating on or very near the ground
Basal Rosette (photo)- A circle of basal leaves that lie flat on the ground
Alternate (photo)- One leaf at each node
Opposite (photo)- Two leaves opposite each other on the stem at each node
Whorled (photo)- More than two leaves circling the stem at one node
Other Leaf Terms
Axillary Bud- Bud present above each leaf
Adaxial- Top side of leaf
Abaxial- Bottom side of leaf
Petiole- Leaf Stalk
Sessile- Unstalked
Stipules (photo)- Pair of organs on stem often present on either side of petiole, usually leaf-like
Compound- Divided all the way to the midrib
Simple- Not compound (but may be lobed or toothed on margins)
Pinnately Veined- Major veins exiting at various points along the midrib in a feather-like pattern
Palmately Veined- Major veins radiating from a single point near the junction of the blade with the petiole
Pinnately Lobed (photo)- Lobed in a pinnate pattern (=pinnatifid)
Palmately Lobed (photo)- Lobed in a palmate pattern
Leaflet- Division of a compound leaf
Pinnately Compound (photo)- Divided into leaflets exiting the midrib in a pinnate pattern
Bipinnate (photo)- Twice pinnate, with each leaflet seemingly again divided into pinnate leaflets (Tripinnate= split again)
Palmately Compound (photo)- Leaflets all attached to petiole at one point
Ternate (Trifoliate) (photo)- Divided into three leaflets, like a cloverleaf
Dissected (photo)- Deeply divided into many small, fine segments
Parallel Veination (photo)- All the veins running parallel, starting at the base all the way to the tip
Reticulate (Net) Veination (photo)- Veins branching and forming a network
Leaf Shapes
Cordate (photo)- Heart-shaped, with the leafstalk entering at the notch
Deltate (photo)- Triangular
Elliptic (photo)- Widest at or near the middle of the leaf
Hastate- Sword-like, with lobes at the base that protrude outward
Lanceolate (photo)- Lance-shaped, widest at the base (Oblanceolate widest near the tip)
Linear (photo)- Thin and needle-like
Lyrate- Pinnately lobed, with a wider portion of leaf near the tip
Ovate (photo)- Egg-shaped, widest near base (Obovate widest near tip)
Peltate (photo)- Leaf-stalk entering in the middle of the blade, rather than at the base
Perfoliate (photo)- Stem apparently growing (piercing) through the middle of the leaf
Reniform (photo)- Kidney-shaped
Orbicular (photo)- Circular
Rhombic- Kite-shaped
Oblong (photo)- Lateral edges parallel for a significant portion of their length
Sagittate (photo)- Arrowhead-shaped
Spatulate (photo)- Spoon shaped, tapering to a point widest near the tip
Leaf Edges
Entire (photo)- Completely smooth around the margins
Repand- With wavy, rolling margins
Crenate (photo)- Round-toothed margin
Dentate (photo)- Large, sharp-toothed
Serrate (photo)- Small, sawblade-like teeth
Doubly Serrate- Serrate with two different alternating sizes of teeth
Serrulate- Very tiny serrations
Revolute- Margins rolled under all the way around the leaf edge
Leaf Bases
Attenuate- Gradually narrowing into the petiole
Cuneate- Wedge-shaped
Rounded- With a round base
Truncate- Flat leaf base
Auriculate- With ear-like lobes
Cordate- Curving in to a point like the notch in a heart
Sagittate- With two backwards pointing lobes (like an arrowhead)
Hastate- Having two lobes at the base that point outward (horizontally) from the petiole
Oblique- Asymmetric leaf base
Clasping (photo)- Wrapping around the stem with lobes
Sheathing (photo)-Attached to and wrapping around the stem with a sheath
Leaf Apices
Acuminate- Gradually tapering to a pointed tip
Cuspidate- Abruptly tapering to a pointed tip
Acute- Margins meeting at less than a 90 degree angle
Obtuse- Margins meeting at greater than a 90 degree angle
Rounded- Apex not at all sharp
Emarginate- Apex notched or indented
Mucronate- Apex with a small projection at tip, often appearing as a continuation of the midvein
Surface Features
Pubescent- Having hairs
Glabrous- Lacking hairs
Scabrous- Rough, like sandpaper
Glaucous- Whitish, often with a whitish powder that rubs off
Glandular- Sticky, often with droplets of resinous liquid
Stellate (photo)- Star-shaped pubescence
*note: you should know which glossary terms (i.e. hirsute, villous, pilose, tomentose, hispid) apply to hairs, but you won't be expected to tell them apart
Inflorescences
Determinate- An inflorescence that, once buds are formed, already had the number of flowers it will finish with
Indeterminate- An inflorescence that can produce new flower buds indefinitely as it elongates
Catkin (photo)- Drooping spike of inconspicuous flowers subtended by scales
Spike (photo)- An indeterminate inflorescence with unstalked flowers going up the stem
Raceme (photo)- An indeterminate inflorescence with stalked flowers coming off up the stem
Corymb- A flat-topped indeterminate inflorescence, with the outermost flowers being the oldest
Cyme- A determinate inflorescence with the terminal flower of each branch opening first
Panicle (photo)- An inflorescence that branches more than once
Umbel (photo)- All the branches of the inflorescence radiating from a single point
Compound umbel (photo)- Each branch of the umbel terminating in a smaller umbel (umbellet)
Verticel (photo)- Going up the stem, each node has a cluster of unstalked flowers
Head (photo)- A cluster of unstalked flowers
Solitary (photo)- A single-flowered inflorescence
Bract (photo)- Any leaf that is part of the inflorescence
Involucre (photo)- A collection of bracts
Spathe (photo)- A sheathing bract that subtends or surrounds the inflorescence
Spadix (photo)- A fleshy spike bearing flowers
Flower Stuff
Monoecious- Individual flowers on a plant unisexual, but both male and female flowers found on same plant
Dioecious (male), (female)- Individual flowers unisexual, the plant being either male or female, but not both
Perfect Flower- A flower containing both male and female organs
Imperfect Flower- Containing only male or female organs, but not both (staminate=male flower, pistillate=female)
Peduncle- The stalk of an inflorescence or of a single flower if only one is present
Pedicel- The stalk of a flower in a multi-flowered inflorescence
Connate- Fusion of like parts (e.g. petals fused to each other)
Adnate- Fusion of unlike parts (e.g. stamens attached to petals)
Sepal- Outermost whorl of flower organs, usually green, alternate with petals
Calyx- All of the sepals on a flower
Synsepalous- Sepals joined for a portion of their length
Hypanthium (photo)- Cup or tube shape made from joined sepals or tepals
Petal- Usually colorful, alternate with sepals below and stamens above
Corolla- All of the petals on a flower
Perianth- The collection of sepals and petals (calyx+corolla=perianth)
Actinomorphic (photo)- Radially symmetric (=regular)
Zygomorphic (photo)- Bilaterally symmetric (=irregular)
Sympetalous- Petals fused for a portion of their length
Caducous- Flower parts falling early (=fugacious)
Corolla Shapes
Papilionaceous (photo)- Pea-flower like, with a keel-shaped formation
(Gamopetalous corolla shapes)
Bilabiate (photo)- Zygomorphic, with two lips
Campanulate (photo)- Bell-shaped
Funnelform (photo)- Funnel-shaped
Ligulate (photo)- All the petals shifted over to one side in a tongue-like fashion
Rotate (photo)- Saucer-shaped
Salverform (photo)- Having a long tube, with petal lobes angling off perpendicular at the tip
Urceolate (photo)- Urn-shaped, with a constriction near the opening
Tubular (photo)- Forming a tube
Androecium- All the male parts of the flower
Stamen- One male part of the flower
Filament- Stalk of the stamen
Anther- Club-shape, pollen bearing portion of stamen comprised of two chambers (locules)
Connective- Portion of tissue connecting the two locules of the anther
Epipetalous- Stamens adnate to petals
Didynamous-Stamens of 2 different lengths (2 longer, 2 shorter)
Tetradynamous- Stamens of 2 different lengths (4 longer, 2 shorter)
Monodelphous- Stamens connate in a single grouping, usually circling the ovary
Diadelphous- Stamens connate in 2 groupings (sometimes the groupings are unequal in number of stamens)
Anther Dehiscence (pollen release) and Shape
Laminar (photo)- Flat, linear stamens only vaguely divided into filimaent and anther
Longitudinal (photo)- Each anther locule splitting along a seam running from top to bottom- typical mode of dehiscence
Poricidal (photo)- Opening through pores at the tips
Valvate (photo)- Releasing pollen through valves with flaps along the side of the anthers
Gynoecium (Female parts of the flower)
Carpel- One female unit of the flower
Ovary- Lower portion of gynoecium that contains ovules
Ovule- Female gametophyte that eventually becomes one seed
Style- Stalk coming up from ovary bearing the stigma
Stigma- Pollen-receiving portion of the gynoecium
Apocarpy (photo)- Multiple carpels in the flower borne separately, unfused ovaries
Syncarpy- Carpels united into one ovary
Superior- Ovary is not fused to sepals, spatially placed above sepals or hypanthium
Inferior- Ovary fused to the sepals or hypanthium, the sepals thus appearing to be placed spatially above the ovary
Fruits
Capsule (photo)- Dry fruit, sometimes compartmentalized, with multiple seeds inside
Samara (photo)- A winged seed stemming from one ovary
Schizocarp (photo)- Multiple dry seeds splitting apart from a single ovary
Follicle (photo)- Multiple-seeded fruit formed from one carpel that dehisces via a single suture
Legume (photo)- Multiple-seeded fruit of the bean family formed from one carpel that has 2 lines of dehiscence, but only one locule
Achene- Single-seeded dry fruit derived from one ovary with a thin outer seed coat
Nut- A single-seeded dry fruit surrounded by a hardened carpel wall
Berry (photo)- Fleshy fruit with multiple seeds inside
Drupe- Fleshy fruit with a single, hard seed
Aggregate- A collection of fruits formed from a single flower
Multiple- A collection of fruits formed from multiple flowers
Silicle- Short, 2 locular fruit flattened perpendicularly to the replum
Silique- Elongated, 2-locular fruit,flattened parallel to the replum
Dehiscent-Open (fruit)at maturity to release the seeds
Indehiscent- Closed (fruit) at maturity
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