Reviewed
Glossary
- Alternate
Occurring singly at each node; (compare opposite)
- Annual
A plant that germinates, flowers, sets seeds, and dies within one year - Axil
The upper angle between a leaf or branch and the stem from which it arises - Bract
A leaflike structure at the base of a flower - Bunch grass
Any of various grasses that grow in clumps - Catkin
A scaly, nodding spike consisting of flowers of a single sex - Collar
The area on the outside of a grass leaf where the blade joins the sheath - Compound leaf
A leaf blade that is separated into two or more distinct leaflets
- Dioecious
Bearing male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on separate plants - Drupe
A fleshy fruit containing a single, stony seed (pit) - Ecotype
Individuals that are adapted to a specific environment - Forb
Herbaceous plant other than a grass or sedge - Glade
Rocky, open barrens within a woodland landscape characterized by the absence of trees, shallow soils and exposed bedrock; often dominated by drought-adapted forbs and warm-season grasses - Inflorescence
The flowering part of a plant
- Lanceolate
Lance-shaped; much longer than wide and narrower at the tip than at the base
- Legume
A plant belonging to the bean family (Fabaceae). Typically produces seeds in pods. Legumes capture and store nitrogen in their roots through a mutually beneficial relationship with certain bacteria. - Lenticel
A slightly raised, somewhat corky, lens-shaped area on the surface of a stem - Lignin
A chemical polymer that functions as a natural binder and support for cellulose fibers. Lignin stiffens leaves, stalks and stems. - Ligule
A membranous appendage arising from the inner surface of the leaf junction with the leaf sheath - Lodge
To flatten under the pressure of snow cover or heavy rain - Mesic
In reference to habitats, moderately moist; in reference to plants, requiring moderate moisture - Naturalized
Introduced plants that have become established and are naturally reproducing - Node
The position on the stem where leaves or branches originate - Opposite
Occurring across from each other at the same node; (compare alternate)
- Palmate
Lobes radiating out from the center like fingers from the palm of a hand - Panicle
Branched flowers that mature from the bottom up - Perennial
A plant that lives for three or more years - Petiole
A leaf stalk (see simple leaf) - Pinnately compound
A compound leaf with leaflets arranged on opposite sides of an elongated axis; (see compound leaf) - Procumbent
Trailing along the ground without becoming rooted - Savanna
Grasslands interspersed with open-grown, widely spaced trees - Scalloped edges
Curved projections forming an ornamental border - Serrated
Sawlike, toothed along the margin with the teeth pointing forward - Simple leaf
A leaf blade that is not separated into leaflets
- Stamen
The male flower part that produces pollen - Stipule
One of a pair of leaflike appendages found at the base of the petiole in some leaves - Style
The narrow portion of the female reproductive portion of a flower - Tendrils
A slender, twining stem used to grasp support for climbing - Venation
The arrangement of veins in a leaf
- Whorled
A leaf arrangement with three or more leaves arising from a single node