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Glossary of Botanical Terms

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term	definition
Blade	The expanded portion of a leaf or petal.
Bract	A reduced or modified leaf occurring at the base of a flower or group of flowers. Bracts are sometimes arranged in rows, like shingles on a roof, usually closely cupping the blossoms of Asteraceae (Sunflower Family); cf. Phyllary. Sometimes brightly colored or petallike, as in Castilleja spp. (paintbrush), or threadlike, as in Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace).
Branchlet	A small branch.
Bristly	Having stiff, rigid, rather thick hairs on the surface of stems or leaves.
Bud	A small cell-mass in the process of dividing from a stem to form a flower, leaf or another stem
Bulb	A thick, rounded, underground organ consisting of layered, fleshy leaves and membranes.
Cactus/Succulent	A plant having leaves and/or stems which are thick and fleshy.
Calyx	The sepals taken collectively. These may be distinct, or joined to form a cup or tube; they may be of any color but are usually green. When the calyx is present, it encloses the other parts of the flower in bud.
Campanulate	Bell-shaped.
CAN(I)	Introduced to Canada
CAN(N)	Native to Canada
CAN(NI)	Native and Introduced to Canada
Capitulescence	The inflorescence of a capitulum-bearing plant as in many species in Asteraceae.
Capitulum	An inflorescence composed of multiple florets arranged in a flower head and surrounded by an involucre of bracts as found on many species in Asteraceae.
Capsule	A dry fruit that splits open along three or more lines.
Caryopsis	A dry, one-seeded fruit (achene) with ovary wall united to the seed coat, characteristic of grasses.
Catkin	A spikelike flower cluster that bears scaly bracts and petalless, unisexual flowers.
Caudate	Tapering gradually into a long taillike tip
Clasping	Leaf partially encircles the stem.
Complete flower	A flower with sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil present.
Compound	A leaf divided into two or more leaflets.
Compound leaf	A leaf that is completely separated into two or more leaflets.
Compound Pistil	A pistil made up of two or more partially or completely united carpels.
Cordate	Heart-shaped, with the point at the apex.
Corm	A short, fleshy underground stem, broader than high, producing stems from the base and leaves and flower stems from the top.
Corolla	The petals collectively; usually colored or showy. These may be distinct or united to form a cup, trumpet, tube, or two-lipped body.
Corymb	A flat-topped or convex flower cluster, with the lower or outer stems longer; the flowers on these stems open first.
Crenate	Having rounded teeth along the margin.
Culm	The hollow stem of grasses and bamboos.
Cuneate	Leaf shape narrowly triangular, wider at the apex and tapering toward the base.
Cuspidate	Tipped with a sharp firm point.
Cyme	A usually flattish inflorescence in which the central or terminal flower matures first.
Deciduous	Having leaves that all fall off at the end of the growing season, or at least wither up and become lifeless.
Decumbent	Lying on the ground but having an ascending tip.
Deltoid	Triangular.
Dentate	Sharply toothed, with the teeth pointing straight out from the margin.
Denticulate	Finely toothed.
Dioecious	With male and female reproductive structures on separate plants.
Disc flowers	The inner tubular flowers on the heads of Asteraceae (Sunflower Family).
Distal	Toward the top of a plant or the tip of a plant part. Cf, Proximal.
Drupe	Fruit with exocarp or skin, fleshy mesocarp and hardened endocarp with seed inside.
Elliptic	Shaped like an ellipse, resembling a flattened circle.
Emarginate	Having a shallow notch at the tip.
Endemic	Occurring naturally only in a single geographic area.
Entire	Said of margins without teeth or lobes.
Escape	A cultivated plant that has gone wild.
Evergreen	Remaining green and leafy through the winter.
Falcate	Sickle-shaped.
Fascicled	In a tight bundle, several leaves appearing to arise from a common point.
Fern	Any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants (pteridophytes) having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores.
Fibrous	Network of fine roots with no central dominant root.
Filament	Stalk of stamen; bears the anther.
Floret	A small flower, especially one in a dense cluster.
Florets	Small or reduced flowers.
Flower head	A dense arrangement of flowers arising from a common point, as in Apiaceae, or as in Asteraceae where many ray flowers and/or disc flowers make up one "flower head." See also, Capitulum.
FNA	Flora of North America.
Frond	The leaf of a fern.
Fruit	The seed-bearing part of a plant.
Genus	A group of related species classified within a family.
Glabrous	Smooth; hairless.
Grass/Grass-like	Having narrow leaves, usually arising from the base of the plant.
Halophyte	A plant which tolerates a salty environment.
Hastate	A triangle with two sides abruptly concave; in the form of two pointed lobes pointing outwards.
Head	A compact cluster of flowers attached to essentially the same point on the peduncle.
Herb	A plant species lacking woody tissue when mature.
Herbaceous	Herblike; not woody.
Hermaphrodite	Bisexual, having both male and female parts in the same flower.
Hermaphroditic	Having the properties of a hermaphrodite, with both male and female structures located within the same flower.
HI(I)	Introduced to Hawaii
HI(N)	Native to Hawaii
Imperfect flower	A flower bearing either stamens or pistils, but not both.
Incomplete flower	A flower lacking one or more of the following: stamens, pistils, petals, sepals.

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Results 37 through 72 of 271