Botanical Glossary: A - I
compiled by Jim Croft
of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/
A - I
abaxial:
on the side of a lateral organ away from the axis or stem (cf. adaxial) aberrant:
departing from the normal or usual abortive:
imperfectly developed; defective; barron abscise:
to cut off; hence abscission, abscissive, abscissile acaulescent:
lacking a distinct stem accrescent:
increasing abnormally in size with age acerose:
narrow with a sharp, stiff point -aceus:
suffix meaning 'resembling', eg myrtaceus, foliaceus acicula, acicle:
a needle-shaped projection; hence acicular: needle-shaped aciculate:
finely striated by minute, needle-like bristles acro-:
prefix meaning 'of or towards the tine' (cf. basi-) acropetal:
produced in succession towards the apex (cf. basipetal, centripetal, centrifugal) acrophyll:
an upper leaf or frond, especially of high-climbing ferns (cf. bathyphyll) acroscopic:
the side of the organ directed towards the apex of the axis on which it is bourne (cf. basiscopic) acrostichoid:
Acrostichum-like, of exindusiate sori densly covering the lower surface of the frond, or large areas of it; the lamina may be contracted or not actino-:
prefix meaning star-shaped or radial aculeate:
prickly or spiny acuminate:
tapering and drawn out into a narrow point (cf. acute, mucronate) acute:
evenly narrowed into a point at an angle of less than 90 degrees (cf. acuminate, obtuse) adhesion hence adherent:
of two dissmiilar organs or parts touching each other, +/- adhesively but easily separated and not fused or grown together (cf. coherent, adnate, connate) adiaxial:
on the side of a lateral organ towards the axis or stem (cf. abaxial) adnate:
of dissimilar organs united or fused together (cf. connate, adherent, adnate) adpressed = appressed adventitious:
arising in an irregular or unusual position, such as roots along a stem adventive:
intoduced recently, in particular since colonization by man (cf, exotic, introduced, indigenous) aerenchyma:
a tissue of thin-walled cells with many air spaces, especially common in aquatic plants aerial roots:
roots growing in the air aero-:
prefix to do with 'air'; hence aeration etc aerophores:
an outgrowth of tissue concerned with gas exchange, often at the base of pinnae in ferns (cf. pneumathodes) ala:
a wing; hence alate:
winged or with wing-like appendages allopatric:
of two or more species with geographic ranges that do not overlap (cf. sympatric) alpine:
pertaining to or occurring on very high and cold mountains alternate:
indivually inserted at different positions along the axis (cf. opposite, decussate) alveolus:
a cavity, pore or pit; hence alveolate amphi-:
prefix meaning 'both' amphibious:
capable of growing both in water and on land; growing with part of the plant in the water or mud and part in the air (cf. rheophyte, aquatic, terrestrial, marine) amphiphloic siphonstele (= solenostele):
a cylindrical stele with a parenchymatous centre with phloem on both the inside and the outside (cf. ectophloic siphonostele, medullated protostele) amplexicaul:
stem-clasping anadromic, anadromous:
with the first subbranch of a lateral branch produced on the acroscopic margin, mostly of venation in bipinnate ferns (cf. catadromic, catadromous) anastomose:
to join together, principally of veins (cf. reticulum) anastomosis:
union of one vein (or other linear structure) with another ancipital:
flattened, as in 2-angled stems angiosperm:
flowering plant, plants with ovules enclosed in ovary (cf. gymnosperm) anisophyllous:
of leaves, usually a pair, of differing size and shape annual:
completing the life-cycle within one year (cf. perennial) annular:
in the form of a ring (n. sing. annulas) annulus:
the arrangement of thick-walled cells involved in opening the sporangium in ferns anomalous:
irregular; abnormal anterior:
forward, towards the front; the side away from the main axis (cf. posterior) antheridium:
the structure on the pteridophyte prothallus (viz) that produces the mobile male gametes (pl. archegonia) (cf. archegonium) antrorse:
directed towards the apex (cf. rectorse) apex:
tip or summit aphyllous:
leafless apical:
at or towards the tip of an organ or axis apiculus:
a short sharp point in which an organ may end; hence apiculate (cf. cuspidate) apogamy:
the development of the sporophyte from the prothallus without fertilisation apospory:
the development of prothalli from direct outgrowths the fern frond, without the production of spores appendage:
an attachment developed on and projecting beyond the surface of an organ applanate:
flattened out and horizontally expanded (cf. explanate) apposite:
side by side appressed:
closely applied to the supporting organ or axis for the entire length (also adpressed) approximate close together (cf. remote) aquatic:
growing in water (cf. marine, amphibious, rheophyte, terrestrial) arachnoid:
cobweb-like; formed of tangled hairs or fibres arborescent:
tree-like in size and habit (cf. dendroid) archegonium:
the structure on the pteridophyte prothallus (viz) that produces the sessile female gametes (pl. archegonia) (cf. antheridium) arcuate:
curved or arched, fairly strongly (cf. falcate) areole:
an enclosed space in a reticulum (viz.), a portion of the lamina enclosed by veins ; hence areolate (cf. reticulate) arista:
an awn or bristle; hence aristate, bearing or tapering into an awn or bristle ( pl. aristae; dimin. aristulate) armature:
covering or occurrence of spines, hooks or prickles; hence armed (cf. unarmed) aromatic:
with a resinous, spicy or distinctive smell articulate:
with one or more joints or points of apparent separation, usually marked by a swelling, line or abrupt change in colour ascending:
growing obliquely at first but finally upwards; rising or growing upwards asexual:
withiut the involvement of ferilisation; of propogation by division or the production of bulbils or stolons etc (cf. sexual vegetative) aspera:
rough to the touch; hence asperites, asperate; rough or harsh (dimin. asperulous) atro-:
prefix meaning 'dark' attenuate:
gradually narrowed or tapered auricle:
ear-shaped appendage or lobe; hence auriculate auto-:
prefix meaning 'self' autonym:
the name of a species automatically applied at the infraspecific level to the type when another infrospecific taxon is described in that speciies (cf. synonym, basionym) autotrophic:
independent of other organisms in respect of organic nutrition (cf. heterotrophic) awn:
a stiff, bristle-like projection from the back or tip of an organ; hence awned axil:
the apical angle between two organs, eg between a leaf and the stem; hence auxillary axis:
the main or central line or stem about which the lateral organs or parts are arranged (pl. axes; adj. axile) barbate:
bearded, provided with tufts of long, weak hairs barbed:
bearing sharp, spine-like hooks which are bent backwards (dimin. barbellate) barren:
sterile, incapable of reproducing basal:
at or towards the base of an organ or axis basi-:
prefix meaning 'of or towards the base' (cf. acro-) basifixed:
attached at the base basionym:
the synonym (viz.) or combination (viz.) from which the specific epiphet was derived basipetal:
produced in succession towards the base (cf. acropetal, centipetal, centrifugal) basiscopic:
the side of the organ directed towards the base of the axis on which it is borne (cf. acroscopic) bathyphyll:
a lower leaf or frond, especially of high-climbing ferns (cf.acrophyll) beak:
a pointed projection, a prominent projection of an organ bearded:
having a tuft or tufts, or zone of hairs bi-:
prefix meaning 'two' (cf. di-, duo-) bicolorous:
with white or clear walls and dark red or brown septae as in some hairs biconvex:
in section with both surfaces curved outwards away from the centre biennial:
a plant which lives for more than one but less that two years (cf. annual, perennial) bifarious:
arranged in two opposite rows bifid:
divided into two +/- equal parts, usually c. half way bifurcate:
split in two, hence bifurcation bilabiate:
two-lipped bilateral:
of, on, or with equal sides, eg bilaterally symmetric, bilaterally flattened or compressed etc (cf. radial,dorsiventral) binate:
almost or quite divided into two parts, eg leaflets, bristles etc bipartitite:
divided into two +/- equal part, to the base or almost so bipinnate:
twice or doubly pinnate (cf. pinnate) biseriate:
arranged in two rows (cf. distichous) bivalved:
with two valves or flaps blade:
the expanded part of a leaf, petal etc bloom:
a white or glaucous (viz.) powdery covering (cf. glaucous) boss:
a protuberance with a rounded surface brackish:
of a mixture of salt and fresh waters (cf. estuarine) bract:
usually a +/- modified leaf subtending an axis; hence bracteate (dimin. bracteole, bracteolate) bristle:
a +/- linear epidermal appendage, circular in section, stiff several to many cells wide at the base (cf. hair, scale) bulbiferous:
bearing bulbs or bulbils for vegetative propogation bulbils:
a small bulb developing on some fern fronds and often developing into a new plant bulbous:
bulb-shaped; swollen like an onion bullate:
bubble-like; puckered or blistered, describing a layer of tissure (part of a leaf, scales etc) strongly arched and raised between the margins caducous:
short-lived and falling early in the development of the plant or organ (cf. deciduous, fugacious) caespitose:
tufted or matted, growing in tufts or patches calcareous:
derived from limestone, or with an excess of lime (calcium carbonate) calyptra:
a cap-like covering hence calyptrate campanulate:
bell-shaped canaliculate:
longitudinally channeled or grooved canescent:
with a grey-white pubescence canopy:
the cover of foliage layer of a community especially forests capillary:
hair-like capitate:
head-like, rounded (dimin. capitellate) capitiform:
shaped like a head, somewhat globose capitulum:
a knob-like swelling; hence capitulate capsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruiting body; hence capsular carina:
a keel; hence carinate, longitudinally keeled carpophore:
the stalk of the sporocarp cartilaginous:
hard, tough, without chlrophyll and vasculature; like cartilage catadromic, catadromous:
with the first subbranch of a lateral branch produced on the basiscopic margin, mostly of venation in pinnate ferns (cf. anadromic, anadromous) caudate:
tailed excessively acuminate so that the tip is long and weak caudex:
the compact stem or trunk of a tree-fern or other erect fern (cf. rootstock) cauline:
of or relating to the stem cell:
the small structural components of which all plant tissue is composed centri-:
prefix pertaining to the centre of an organ centifugal:
tending outwards or developing from the centre outwards (cf. centripetal, acropetal, basipetal) centripetal:
tending inwqrds or developing towards the centre from the outside (cf. centrifugal, acropetal basipetal) cernous:
drooping chaff:
thin, membranous scales or bracts; hence chaffy chartaceous:
of a thin papery texture (cf, coriaceous) chlorophyll:
the green colouring in plants concerned with the production of sugars chromosomes:
deep-staining thread-like bodies containing the genetic material in the cell nucleus, the number usually constant for a given species ciliun (pl. cilia):
a hair or bristle; hence ciliate, usually with marginal hairs cinerous:
light, ashy grey -cipital:
suffix meaning -headed, eg multicipital circinnate:
coiled, with the apex innermost (n. circinnus), as in many developing fern fronds circumscissile:
splitting completely around the centre, the top valve coming off like a lid cirrhose:
tendril-like, with a slender, coiled or wavy tip cladode:
a flattened stem resembling a leaf in form and function (cf. phyllode) clathrate:
in the form of a lattice; used to describe scales with a single layer of translucent cells with dark cross-like walls clavate:
club-shaped, gradually thickened towards the apex clone:
a set of organisms produced from one parent by vegetative reproduction, hence genetically identical coalescent:
separate organs unifying by growth (cf. concrescent) coenosorus:
an extended sorus or series of sori that have united ot coalesced cohesion, hence coherent:
of two similar organs or parts touching one another, +/- adhesively but easily separated and not fused or grown together (cf. adherent, adnate, connate) collateral:
standing side by side colleter:
mucinagious hairs that secrete gum columella:
central axis of a cone etc coma:
a tuft of hairs, hence comose combination:
taxonomically the name of a genus combined with a specific epithet (cf. synonym) commisure:
joint or seam community:
an assemblage of plants living in the same place composite:
compound (viz cf. simple) compound:
composed of several +/- similar parts (cf. composite, simple) compressed:
flattened conceptacle:
the fruit-case of the sporocarp (viz.) in Marsileaceae concolorous:
of uniform colour, eg on both sides o a leaf (df. discolourous) concrescent:
growing together; hence concrescence (cf. coalescent) conduplicate:
folded lengthwise with the upper surface inwards, eg on a leaf folded along the midrib cone:
geometrically a solid, circular in cross-section, triangular in longitudinal section, hence conical; botanically a series of spirally arranged wooden scales or sporophlls (cf. strobilis) confluent:
merging together or blending conform:
of the same or similar shape, eg pinnate fronds with the apical pinnae similar to the lateral confluent:
blending or running together congeneric:
belonging to one and the same genus (cf. conspecific); hence congener (n.) congested:
crowded, clustered conical:
of a solid in the form of a cone, attached be the broad end (cf. obconcical connate:
of similar organs united or fused together (cf. adnate, coherent, adherent) connivent:
converging together, usually of organs with their bases separate and their appices approaching each other, not touching or fused (cf. convergent, divergent) conspecific:
belonging to one and the same species contigous:
adjacent and touching but not united contorted:
twisted contracted:
narrowed and/or shortened convergent:
growing or lying towards one another (cf. connivent, divergent) convolute:
rolled together longitudinally copious:
very much, very many cordate:
heart-shaped, basally rounded with a deep notch (dimin. cordulate) coriaceous:
of a thick leathery texture (cf. chartaceous) cortex:
the region of a stem or root surrounding the vascular cylinder but inside the epidermis (cf. medulla) cosmopolitan:
world-wide in distribution costa:
rib, especially the midrib of a leaf or pinna; hence costate (pl. costae; dimin. costule) costal:
pertaining to or near the costa (dimin. costular) costule:
midrib of higher order pinnule or lobe; hence costulate crater:
a bowl; hence craterous, crateriform crenate:
with shallow, rounded teeth (dimin, crenulate) (cf. dentate, serrate) crested:
with an elevated ridge or line along the summit of an organ crisped:
with the margins finely wavy, curled or crumpled cristate:
with an appendage resembling a crest crown:
part of a tree, shrub, etc, above the first branching crozier:
the coiled young fronds of ferns cruciate, cruciform:
in the shape of a cross cryptogam:
plants reproducing by spores and not seeds, eg. ferns, mosses, fungi etc. (cf. phanerogam) cucullate:
hooded or hood-shaped cultigen:
plant known only in cultivation, apparently originating under domestication cultivar:
a distinct true-breeding race or form, established in cultivation cuneate:
wedge-shaped, with straight sides converging at the base cupule:
a cup-like structure the subtends flower or fruit cusp:
a sharp, rigid point; hence cuspidate, with the apex abruptly narrowed into a point (cf. apiculate) cuticle:
waxy layer covering the epidermis (viz.) of the plant cyathium:
a cup; hence cyaniform; cup-like cymiform:
boat-shaped (cf. navicular) deciduous:
falling off at maturity, often referrring to the loss of leaves in response to seasonal variations declinate:
curved downwards decompound:
several times divided or compound decumbent:
lying along the ground with the tip ascending decurrent:
extending downwards beyond the point of insertion, eg. the base of leaf blade tapering into the stem decurved:
curved downwards decussate:
four-ranked, in opposite pairs alternately at right angles (cf. quadrifarious, distichous) definite:
of precise and constant number or extent (cf. indefinite, determinate, indeterminate) deflexed:
bent downwards towards the base of the stem dehisce:
to split open; hence dehiscence, dehiscent (cf. indehiscent) deltoid:
broadly triangular and attached at the base dendriform, dendroid:
tree-like, mainly of branching and form but not in size dentate:
with sharp teeth perpendicular to the margin (dimin. denticulate) (cf. serrate, crenate, edentate) denticle:
a small tooth depauperate:
reduced in size, as if starved; impoverished, poor in composition (eg. few species, forms etc) (cf. rich) depressed:
flattened from above determinate:
of definite or limited growth (cf. indeterminate) di-:
prefix meaning two (cf. bi-, duo) dichotomous:
forking into two equal branches (cf. pseudodichotomous, monopodial, sympodial) dictyostele:
a complex stele with large overlapping leaf-gaps, in section composed of many meristeles (viz.) didymous:
twinned, the two parts similar and attached by a short portion of their inner surface (cf. geminate) difform:
dissimilar (cf. conform) diffuse:
of opening or straggling form; spreading and much-branched digitate:
with the parts spreading from the centre like the fingers of a hand (cf. palmate) dimidiate:
of a leaflet or pinnule with the lamina lacking or nearly lacking on the basiscopic side dimorphic, dimorphous:
existing in two easily recognisable forms (cf. monomorphic, polymorphic) diploid:
with a complement of two sets of chromosomes (cf. haploid, polyploid) disarticulate:
to separate at a joint or articulation discolorous:
of different coulour, eg. when two sides of the leaf are different colours, also variegated (cf. concolorous) discrete:
clearly seperate from each other, not united dissected:
deeply divided or cut into many segments(cf. -sect) distal:
towards the free or developing end of an organ (cf. proximal) distichous:
arranged in two opposite rows (cf. biseriate, decussate, polystichous) divaricate:
spreading at a very wide angle, extremely divergent divergent:
spreading away from one another, usually at a wide angle (cf. convergent, connivent) dommatia:
pits or pockets, sometimes with tufts of hair in the axils of nerves on the lower surfaces of leaves dorsal:
pertaining to or attached to the back of body or organ (cf. ventral) dorsifixed:
attached at or by the back dorsiventral:
with a distinct upper and lower surface, eg. dorsiventally flattened (cf. bilateral, radial) duo-:
prefix meaning 'two' or 'paired' (cf. bi-, di-) e-:
prefix meaning 'lacking', eg. ebracteate ebracteate:
without bracts echinate:
bearing prickles or spines (dimin. echinulate) ecostate:
lacking a costa or midrib ecto-:
prefix meaning 'outside' (cf. endo-) ectophloic siphonostele:
a cylindrical stele with a parenchymatous central strand and phloem around the outside only (= medullated protostele) (cf. amphiphloic siphonostele, solenostele) edaphic:
pertaining to the soil edentate:
lacking teeth (cf. dentate) effuse:
spreading loosely eglandular:
lacking glands (cf. glandular) elater:
a spirally thickened cell associated with spores and aiding in dispersal; spore appendages in Equisetum eligulate:
lacking a ligule (viz.) ellipsoid:
of a solid body with an elliptic section or outline elliptic:
of a plane with the shape of an ellipse, longer than wide and rounded at both ends, the widest part near the middle elongate:
drawn out in length emarginate:
notched at the extremity (dimin. emarginulate) embossed:
with a small central nodule embryo:
developing zygote in the fertilised seed or archegonium enation:
an epidermal outgrowth; hence enate endemic:
confined to a given region endo-:
prefix meaning 'inside' (cf. ecto-) ensiform:
sword-shaped entire:
with a smooth, even margin, lacking teeth or other indentations ephemeral:
a plant, or of a plant with a very short life-cycle (cf. perennial, annual) epi-:
prefix meaning 'on or above' (cf. hypo) epidermis:
outermost layer of cells covering the plant, beneath the cuticle; hence epidermal epiphyllous:
borne on the leaves or leaf-like organs epiphyte:
an organically independent plant growing on another, not connected to the ground, not parasitic ephispore:
= perispore equitant:
conduplicate (viz.) and overlapping in two or more ranks erect:
upright erecto-patent:
between spreading and erect erose:
with an irregular, jagged margin, as if torn or bitten erubescent:
inclined to be reddish -escent:
suffix meaning 'inclined to be' or 'becoming', eg. accrescent, coalescent esetose:
lacking setae estaurine:
pertaining to estuaries or river mouths, usually brackish conditions (cf. brackish) eu-:
prefix meaning 'good' eusporanagiate:
of primative ferns with sporangial walls more than one cell thick originating from several cells (cf. leptosporangiate) even-pinnate:
= paripinnate (cf. odd-pinnate, imparipinnate) ex-:
prefix meaning 'without or lacking' (cf. a-); or meaning 'outwards' (cf. re-) excrescence:
outgrowth from the surface excurrent:
running or proceeding outwards, away from the axis or costa (cf. recurrent); or of a vein that proceeds beyond the margin exfoliate:
to come away in scales or flakes exindusiate:
lacking an indusium exine:
the outer coat of a pollen grain or spore explanate:
spread out flat (cf. applanate) exotic:
introduced from abroad (cf. adventive, introduced, indigenous) exserted:
projecting beyond (cf. included) extrafloral:
of nectaries borne outside flowers extrorse:
directed outwards (cf. introrse, latrorse, retrorse) exudate:
a liquid, resinous or gelatinous substance secreted by organs or parts of the plant, or yielded when the plant is damaged facultative:
occasional; not essential; incidental (cf. obligate) falcate:
strongly curved, sickle-like (cf. arcuate) false indusium:
a covering of the sorus formed from the reflexed margin of the lamina (cf. indusium) false veins:
zones of epidermal cells of similar appearance to veins but not associated with vascular tissue, eg. in some Davallia and Hymenophyllaceae family:
a taxonomic grouping of similar genera; similar families grouped into orders farina:
a mealy or flour-like covering; hence farinose, farinaceus fascicle:
a close cluster or bundle; hence fascicled, fasciculate fastigiate:
of erect and clustered branches ferruginous:
rust-covered fertile:
producing seeds, spores or pollen capable of germination; of a plant with reproductive organs (cf. sterile, vegetative) fibrillose:
finely fibrous furnished with thread-like structures -fid:
suffix meaning 'dividend or lobed =/- half way', eg. bifid, trifid, 6-fid, pinnatifid etc (cf. -sect) filament:
any thread-like body, especially the stalk of stamens filiform:
thread-like fimbriate:
fringed, the edge bordered by slender processes (dimin. fimbrillate) fistular:
cylindrical and hollow like a pipe flabellate, flabelliform:
fan-shaped flaccid:
limp, not rigid or turgid (viz.) flagellum:
a whip-like hair, usually motile (pl. flagella); hence flagelliform, whip-like; flagellate, bearing flagella flexible:
easily bent but recovering the original form flexuose:
of a wavy, zig-zag form floccose:
with tufts of soft, wooly hairs flora:
the assemblage of plant species in any area; a book or treatise on this flush:
a period of rapid vegetative growth, often involving the expansion of non-green or pale green leaves at the soot extremeties foetid:
with a stinking odour; smelling offensively foliaceus:
leaf-like foliar:
pertaining to the leaves or leaf-like parts foliate:
leaved, clothed in leaves; also as a suffix, eg. bifoliate -foliolate:
suffix denoting a leaf made up of leaflets, eg. trifoliolate, unifoliolate foliose:
bearing numerous crowded leaves forest:
a community dominated by trees with long trunks -form:
suffix meaning '-like', eg. fusiform, falciform (cf. -aceus, -oid) forma, form:
a taxonomic division below the level of variety fovea:
a pit; hence foveate (dimin. foveolate) free:
individually arising or inserted, not united, nor fused, adherent, adnate, connate etc. frond:
the leaf, especially of a fern or palm, including the stipe, often finely divided fruticose:
shrub-like; hence frutescent, becoming shrub-like fugacious:
falling very early (cf. caducous) fulvous:
yellow, tawny, dull yellow with a mixture of grey or brown furcate:
forked, also as bifurcate, trifurcate etc. furfuraceus:
scurfy, provided with soft scales furrowed:
with +/- parellel longitudinal grooves or channels fuscous:
dusky, blackish, of a brownish or greyish brown colour fused:
joined and growing together (cf. free) fusiform:
a spindle- or cigar-shaped, a solid swollen in the middle and tapering at both ends gamete:
the male and female sexual cells that combine at fertilisation to form the zygote; in pteridohytes produced on the prothallus (gametophyte) by the antheridia (male) and archegonia (female) gametophyte:
the sexual or haploid stage in the life cycle of crytogams producing the ova and sperm; in pteridophytes it is a separate, inconspicuous and short-lived generation (cf. prothallus, sporophyte) gelatinous:
of a slimy, clear sticky nature, water soluble, like gelatine (cf.glutinous, mucilaginous) geminate:
twinned, arranged in pairs (cf. didymous) gemma:
a vegetative bud which a species propogates and disperses itself (pl. gemmae) gene:
the hereditory factor producing a character in an organism, borne on the chromosomes (viz.); hence genetic genetics:
the study of inheritance of characters geniculate:
with a knee-like bend genus:
a taxonomic grouping of similar species (pl. genera); similar genera are grouped into families gibbous:
somewhat swollen on one side, usually near the base, forming a pouch or sack glabrescent:
becoming naked or devoid of covering at maturity glabrous:
naked, lacking hairs or scales gland:
an organ or part that secretes oil, resin or other liquid; hence glandular glandular:
bearing glands or of the nature of a gland (cf. eglandular) glaucescent:
slightly glaucous or becoming so glaucous:
with a distinct bluish, waxy bloom or powder on the durface (cf. bloom) globose:
of a solid of almost spherical shape glochidium:
a very dense cluster; hence glomerulate glutinous:
covered with sticky exudate (cf. mucilaginous, gelatinous) gradate:
graded, or stepped, of a sorus with the youngest sporangia at the apex and the older ones lower down (cf. mixed sorus) granular:
of a surface like grains of sand etc. grassland:
a community dominated by grass species (cf. savannah) gymnosperm:
plant with the ovules borne naked or unprotected, the conifers or cone-bearing plants and their allies (cf. angiosperms) habit:
the general appearance of the plant habitat:
the kind of place in which a plant grows hair:
an epidermal appendage, either unicellular or consisting of a single row or cells (cf. bristle, scale) halophyte:
a plant which grows in and tolerates salty environments haploid:
with a complement of one set of chromosomes (cf. diploid, polyploid) haplotype:
a specimen where doubt exists if the author actually handled the specimen mention in the description hastate:
with the shape of an arrow head with the basal lobes pointed and narrow and spreading at a wide angle haustaurium:
absorbing organ through which a parasitic plant absorbs nourishment from its host (pl. haustoria) hemi-:
a prefix meaning 'half' hemiparasite:
a parasitic (viz.) plant capable of limited photosynthetic production of sugars etc. (cf. holophyte, saprophyte) herb:
a vascular plant which is not wood; hence herbaceous hermaphrodite:
bearing both sexes, usually in the same flower hetero-:
prefix meaning 'dissimilar' heteromorphic, heteromorphous:
existing in two or more easily recognisable forms (cf. isomorphic, monomorphic, dimorphic, polymorphic heterosporous:
bearing spores of distinctly different types (cf. homosporous) heterotrophic:
dependent external sources of organic nutrients (cf. autotrophic, parasite, saprophyte) hexa-:
prefix meaning 'six' hirsute:
with distinct hairs, often rather stiff or bristly hispid:
with stiff or rigid spreading hairs or bristles (dimin, hispidulous) hoary:
covered with hairs so fine as to not be readily visible to the naked eye, giving the surface a pale greyish hue holophyte:
a plant maintained entirely by its own organs (cf. parasite, saprophyte) holotype:
the one specimen designated by the author to which the name of the taxon is permanently attached (see type) homo-:
prefix meaning 'even' or similar' )cf. iso-, hetero-) homonym:
the same name; a combination (viz.) where the genus-species pair is exactly the same as an already existing combination, based on a different type (viz.) (cf. synonym, basionym) homosporous:
bearing spores of uniform type (cf. heterosporous) host:
the plant on which a parasite (viz.) lives and from which it derives its nourishment; also the plants on which epiphytes (viz.) grow hyaline:
translucent, usually thin hybrid:
the progeny of different taxa (genera or species), often of intermediate appearance; hence hybridism hybrid swarm:
a population of hybrids and plants derived from backcrossing the hybrids with the parent species (cf. introgression) hydathode:
water-secreting gland on the surface of margin or leaf, at the ends of veins, often indicated by a white deposit of salts hydrphyte:
a plant growing submerged, or almost so, in water hygroscopic:
absorbing water and changing shape as a result hypo-:
prefix meaning 'beneath' or 'under' (cf. epi-) idioblast:
a specialised cell which differs from its neighbours in size, structure and function imbricate:
with overlapping edges, as in scales on a fish immersed:
imbedded in another organ imparipinnate:
pinnate with the rachis terminated by a single leaflet or tendril (cf. odd-pinnate, even pinnate, paripinnate impressed:
sunk or immersed below the level of the surface in-:
prefix meaning 'not' or 'inwards' incertae sedis:
(Latin) of uncertain position, used taxonomically incised:
cut sharply, sometimes and rather deeply; hence incisure (cf. dissected, -sect) included:
enclosed, not protruding (cf. exserted) inconspicuous:
not easily seen incrassate:
thickened incumbent:
resting or leaning upon incurved:
curved upwards or to the adaxial (upper) side (cf. recurved) indefinite:
of unlimited, or apparently unlimited number of extent (cf. definite, determinate, indeterminate indehiscent:
not splitting open at maturity (cf. dehiscent) indeterminate:
of indefinite growth, or apparently capable of unlimited growth (cf. determinate) indigenous:
native, occurring naturally in an area; hence indigene (cf.introduced, adventive, exotic) indumentum:
any covering of a plant surface, especially hairs and scales induplicate:
the margins bent inwards, and the external faces of these edges applied to each other, without twisting indurated:
hardened and toughened indusium:
the protective membrane covering a sorus, not originating from the margin of the lamina (cf. false indusium) inferior:
situated below another organ or part (cf. superior) inflexed:
turning sharply inwards (cf. reflexed) infraspecific:
of taxonomic divisions of a lower rank than species; similarly infrageneric, infrafamilial etc. infra-:
prefix meaning 'lower than' (cf.supra-) innovation:
a new vigorous shoot, carrying on the continued growth of the plant insectivorous:
trapping and supposedly feeding on insects inserted:
attached to or growing upon; hence insertion, the place or modeof attachment integument:
a covering (in particular the covering of an ovule) internode:
the portion of stem between two adjacent nodes (viz.) interruped:
broken or discontinous intramaginal:
situated within the margin and near the edge introduced:
not indigenous (viz.), not native to the area in which it now occurs, brought in by accident or design (cf. adventive, exotic) introgression:
the modification of species by the back-crossing of the hybrids with the parent species (cf. hybrid swarm) introrse:
directed inwards (cf. extrorse, latrorse, retrorse) invest:
to clothe, hence invested involucre::
one or more whorls of bracts surrounding an inflorescence involute:
rolled inwards or to the adaxial (upper) side (cf. revolute) iso-:
prefix meaning 'same' or 'equal' 9cf. homo-, hetero-) isobilateral:
having the same structure on both sides isodiametric:
of a shape (eg. a cell) with all diameters +/- equal isomorphic:
of the same form or appearance (cf. monomorphic, dimorphic, polymorphic) isotype:
a duplicate of the holotype, a specimen made from the same collection as the holotype (see type) A Short Botanical Glossary
compiled by Jim Croft
of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/