Achene
A dry, simple, one-seeded fruit with the seed attached to the inner wall at only one point. Achenes are indehiscent, i.e., they do not split open at maturity. The so-called seed of a sunflower is an achene; the shell is the wall of the fruit, and the true seed lies within. A strawberry consists of many achenes embedded in a fleshy receptacle
Acorns
The hard-shelled, one-seeded fruit of the oaks (Quercus) which consists of a nut which is partly enclosed by the cupule, or cap
Alternate
Describes leaves that are not opposite to each other on the axis, but arranged singly at different heights
Annual
A plant whose life cycle is of only one year's duration
Anthers
The part of the stamen that actually contains the pollen, released when the other opens (dehisces) through a split or pore
Aromatic
Having a strong, usually pleasant but not just sweet smell. Aromatic plants often have resin on their stems and leaves, releasing the strongest aroma when the sun is hottest; many others contain essential oils in tiny leaf cavities, releasing their aroma when foliage is crushed or bruised
Auricles
An ear-shaped appendage
Awns
A stiff, bristle like projection commonly found on grass seeds and spikelets
Axil
The upper angle between a leaf stalk and a stem, or (in trees) between a branch and the trunk
Axillary
Growing in the axil
Basal
Growing at the base
Biennial
A plant that flowers and dies in the second season after germination, producing only stems, roots and leaves in the first season
Bilabiate
Two lipped
Bipinnate
Twice pinnate; that is compound with leaflets arranged in a feather like form but each leaflet is again compound with leaflets similarly arranged
Bracteoles
Having bractlets
Bracts
A modified leaf at the base of a flower or flower cluster
Calyx
The outer part of a flower, usually small and green but sometimes showy and brightly coloured, that is formed from the sepals and encloses the petals in bud
Capsules
A dry fruit that splits open when ripe to release its seeds
Carpels
The basic female organ of the flower, containing the developing seed; a single flower may have from one to many carpels and they may be separate or fused together. Each carpel or group of carpels consists of an ovary in which the seed developes, a stigma which receives the pollen and frequently a style, an elongated section between ovary and stigma. The carpels of a flower are collectively called a pistil
Catkins
A flower cluster normally pendulous in which the flowers lack petals are often stalkless and surrounded by scale like bracts
Cleft Calyx
Split calyx
Compound
Divided into two or more leaflets
Cordate
Heart shaped with stalk attached to notch at broader edge
Corm
A bulb like underground storage organ consisting of mainly a swollen stem base and often surrounded by a papery tunic
Corolla
The often showy and coloured part of a flower formed by the petals
Corolla
A cup shaped or trumpet shaped petal like outgrowth borne in the centre of some flowers
Corymbs
A flower cluster in which the inner flower stalks are shorter than the outer, resulting in a rounded of flat topped head
Deciduous
Describing a tree or shrub that shed its leaves annually at the end of the growing season; semi deciduous plants lose only some leaves
Decumbent
Reclining, but with the tip ascending
Dentate
Toothed, usually with the teeth directed outward
Dichotomously
Forking regularly by pairs
Dieocious
Bearing male and female flowers in different plants, so that for fruit and seed production, there needs to be a male plant present as well as the female
Downy
Having a coating of fine short hairs as on the skin of a peach
Elliptic
Broadest at the center and narrowing towards each end
Endosperm
The nutritive tissue in a seed of a flowering plant that surrounds the embryo
Entire
With untoothed margins
Evergreen
Describing a plant that retains foliage all year round and shed older leaves at intervals throughout the year. Semi evergreen plants retain only some leaves or lose older leaves only when the new growth is produced
Glabrous
Smooth, lacking any covering of hairs, scales or bristles
Globose
Botanists term for globular or spherical
Globular
Approximately spherical in shape
Haws
Small pome fruits expecially those of the Crataegus, Hawthorn species
Herbaceous
Describing herbs
Hermaphrodite
Bisexual, with both pistils and stamens in the same flower
Hold Fast
A structure found at the base of many algae in flowing or tidal water, which serves to attach the plant to a support
Inflorescence
A cluster of flowers with a distinct arrangement i.e. corymb, cyme, panicle, raceme, spike, umbel
Labiate
Lipped; belonging to the Labiatae
Lanceolate
Narrow and tapering at both ends
Lateral
A side growth that arises from a shoot or root
Legume
A plant of the pea family Leguminosae or one of its three sub families
Linear
Very narrow with parallel sides
Lipped
In many tubular flowers the upper and lower lobes at the mouth of the flower where these are evident
Lobed
A rounded projection forming part of a larger structure
Margins
The edge of any flat organ such as a leaf or petal
Monoecious
Having organs of the same sex on the one plant
Node
The point on a stem from which a leaf or leaves arise
Nutlets
A one seeded portion of a fruit that fragments when mature
Oblong
The shape of a leaf or any other flat plant organ that does not taper to each end and of which the length is no more than eight times the width. An oblong leaf may have ends that are rounded to some degree
Obovate
Egg shaped in outline with the narrower end at the base
Obtuse
Blunt or rounded at the end
Ovate
Egg shaped in outline, with the broader end at the base becoming more tipped at the end
Palmate
Having four or more leaflets arising from a single point as in Horse Chesnut (Aescukus hippocastanum)
Panicles
A compound branched raceme in which the flowers develop on stalks arising from the main stem
Pendulous
Hanging, the way the flower sprays of Wisteria do
Perennial
Describing a plant that lives for at least three seasons
Pericarp
The wall of the matured ovary
Petiole
The stalk of a leaf
Pinnate
Compound and consisting of leaflets arranged on either side of a central stalk or rachis, as in a rose leaf or those of many palms and ferns
Pistils
The female part of a flower comprising the ovary, stigma and style
Procumbent
Lying on the ground or trailing but without rooting at the nodes
Prostrate
Lying on the ground or trailing but without rooting at the nodes
Racemes
An unbranched flower cluster with individual flowers produced on short equal stalks, evenly spaced along a central stem, those at the base developing before those farther up
Reniform
Kidney shaped
Rhizome
An underground stem that grows horizontally, branching at intervals and bearing roots and leafy shoots
Rhomboidal
An oblique-angled equilateral parallelogram
Rootlets
Small roots
Rootstock
A plant on to which another variety, species or genus is grafted
Rosettes
A rose like cluster of parts as in a group of leaves radiating from a central point, often at the base of a low growing plant
Scabrous
Rough surfaced
Sepals
One of the parts of the calyx usually green, leaf like and sometimes coloured and showy. In many monocotyledonous plants the sepals are almost indistinguishable from the petals as in lilies and tulips
Serrate
Toothed but with the teeth all forward pointing as the teeth of a saw
Sessile
Having no stalk
Sheaths
The expanded base of a leaf that wraps around the stem or shoot tip; a large bract that encloses a group of flowers in bud, as in the onion inflorescence
Spikelets
The flowering unit of grasses comprising one or several flowers with basal bracts. A small spike, part of a branched flower cluster
Spore
The equivalent of a seed in non-flowering plants such as ferns and fungi. Much tinier than seeds, they are produced in great numbers and blow about on the wind
Stamens
The basic male organ in a flower. The stamens usually form the next whorl in from the whorl of petals and are often partly fused to the petals. A stamen typically consists of a filament or stalk bearing at its tip the anther, the hollow organ containing the pollen
Stigmas
The female part of the flower borne at the tip of the style that receives pollen
Stipules
Leafy outgrowths at the base of a leaf stalk as in roses or sweet peas
Striated
Marked with fine grooves, or lines of colour
Strobiles
A cone or cone like structure
Styles
Part of the female organ in a flower, consisting of a narrow, often elongated extension of the ovary on which the stigma is borne
Terminal
At the tip of a stem or branch
Ternate
With three nearly equal divisions
Thallus
A cellular expansion taking the place of stem and foliage and forming the main body, fungi and lichens
Toothed
With teeth or serrations on the margin, as in rose leaves. In botanical usage toothing may be further distinguished as dentate with teeth pointing straight out, or serrate with teeth pointing forward as in a saw
Trifoliolate
Consisting of three leaflets
Tubers
A swollen, starchy underground organ designed to store food for a plant during its dormancy
Umbels
A usually flat topped or rounded flower cluster in which the individual flower stalks arise from a central point. In a compound umbel, each primary stalk ends in an umbel
Veined
Any one of the strands of conducting tissue visible through the surface of a leaf or a flower petal
Whorls
An arrangement of three or more leaves, branches, or flowers arising from the stem at the same level, encircling it
Winged
Having a marginal flange or membrane
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