Word:	Definition:
achene	a small, dry, hard, one celled, one seeded, non-spliting fruit.
acuminate	taper-pointed
alternate	leaves or branches occurring singly at the nodes. (click here to see Alternate leaves)
annual	of one year's duration
anther	the part of the stamen that contains the pollen. (click here to see flower)
axil	the upper angle between a leaf and the stem. (click here to see leaf)
axillary	occurring in the axils.
bract	modified leaves surrounding the inflorescence or flower, more or les different from ordinary leaves; always stalkless (sessile). (click here to see composite-flower)
calyx	the outer circle of floral leaves, consisting of the sepalswhich may be distinct or joined together. If only one circle of floral leaves is present, it is called a calyx even though it appears like a corolla.
catkin	a scaly spike of small flowers of which the pussy willow is a typical example.
ciliate	fringed with hairs
corolla	the inner circle of floral leaves (petals), that are usually showy. The petals may be seperate or united. The corolla is always surrounded by a calyx.
corymb	a flat or convex flower cluster, with branches arising at differnt levels and flowers opening at the outer edges first.
Cotyledons	The first leaves that are produced from the seed
deciduous
Dentate	Toothed: refering to leaf margins with toothed edges.
Dioecious	Unisexual, with male and female flowers on seperate plants
Disk	central region of a head of flowers like the sunflower
Dissected	Leaves cu deeply into many lobes or divisions
Elliptic	(click here to see elliptic leaf)
Entire	the margin (usually of leaves) that is not notched or toothed in any way.
Evergreen	holding the leaves over winter or longer, until new ones appear.
Fertile	Capable of bearing fruit
Filament	The stalk of a stamen. Also any thread-shaped appendage.
Floret	A small flower, usually of a dense cluster of flowers.
Flower	a test flower definition (Composit Flower)
Frond	The leaf of a fern.
Genus	A group of plants made up of closely related species. (plural genera)
Glabrous	Smooth, hairless, bristleless
Glaucous	Covered with a fine white powdery substance that rubs off, like that on a cabbage leaf.
Habitat	The situation in which a plant grows.
Hepatotoxic	Toxic to the liver.
Herb	A plant with no persistant woody stem.
Herbaceous	Not woody. Applied to plants that are herbs as opposed to shrubs or trees.
Imbricated	Overlapping like shingles on a roof
Imperfect flower	Lacking either stamens or pistils.
Inferior	Applied to the seedpod (ovary) when the calyx and corolla are placed on top of it, as opposed to being inserted at its base.
Inflorescence	The flowering part of the plant.
Involucre	A whorl of bracts around a flower.
Irregular	Used to describe a calyx or corolla in which all parts are not alike. A rose is regular, a sweet pea is irregular.
Keel	The two lower petals of the flowers of the legume or pea family.
Lanceolate	Lance shaped. (Click here to see lanceolate shape)
Leaflet	One of the devisions of a compound leaf. (click here to see compound leaf)
Linear	Narrow and flat, with parallel margin
Lobe	Rounded projection of a leaf. (click here to see a lobed leaf)
Midrib	Middle or main rib of a leaf.
Montane	The region between 6,000 and 9,000 feet altitude. Usually contains a mixed forest of pine, fir, spruce and aspen.
Nephrotoxic	Toxic to the kidneys
Node	The points on a stem from which the leaves arise.
Oblanceolate	(click here to see oblanceolate leaf)
Obovate	The broad end of a leaf upward or at the opposite end to the leaf stalk or petiole. (click here to see obovate leaf)
Opposite	Applied to leaves and branches where an opposing pair occurs at each node. (click here to see opposite leaves)
Orbicular	(click here to see orbicular leaf)
Ovary	The part of the pistil which contains the ovules (seeds) (click here to see flower structure)
Ovate	Shaped like an egg, with the broader end of the leaf nearest the petiole (leaf stalk). (click here to see ovate leaf)
Palmate	A leaf whose leaflets all arise from the apex of the petiole like a hand without stretched fingers. (click here to see palmate leaf)
Panicle	An open or dense cluster in which the secondary branches are branched again. Usually refers to an inflorescence. (click here to see to see a panicle)
Pedicel	The stalk of each individual flower in a cluster.
Peduncle	A flower stalk of a single or cluster of flowers.
Pendent	Hanging.
Perennial	Lasting from year to year.
Perfect	A flower containing both pistils and stamens. (click here to see flower structure)
Perianth	The floral envelopes of the flower, especially when the petals and sepals cannot be differentiated. eg: many lilies.
Petal	A constituent member of the corolla. (click here to see flower structure)
Petaloid	Petal-like
Petiole	The leaf-stalk. (click here to see leaf)
Photosensitization	Dermatitis involving the white skinned areas induced by the reaction of compounds in the skin with ultraviolet light.
Pinnate	Leaflets arranged along the long axis of the leaf. (click here to see pinnate leaf)
Pinnately lobed, divided	Variable divisions of a pinnate leaf. (click here to see a pinnately lobed leaf)
Pistil	The seed-bearing organ of the flower. It consists of the ovary which becomes the seed pod, and the style and stigma. (click here to see flower structure)
Pubescent	Covered by fine, soft hairs.
Raceme	A flower cluster with single flowers along the axis of the inflorescence. (click here to see raceme)
Ray	The marginal flower of a head or cluster when different from the rest eg: sunflower.
Reniform	Kidney shaped. (click here to see reniform leaf)
Rhomboid	(click here to see rhomboid leaf)
Sepal	A member of the calyx (click here to see flower structure)
Serrate	Leaf margin with forward pointing teeth.
Sessile	Without a stalk
Shrub	Woody perennial, smaller than a tree, usually with multiple stems.
Spatulate	Gradually rounded downward from a rounded summit (click here to see spatulate leaf)
Species	A group containing all the individulas of a particular kind of plant.
Spicate	Arranged in or resembing a spike
Spike	A simple inflorescence with the flowers sessile or nearly so, arranged along a elongated common axis. (click here to see spike)
Stamen	The pollen-bearing organ made up of the filament and the anther that contains the pollen. (click here to see flower structure)
Stigma	The region of the pitil that receivs the pollen. (click here to see flower structure.
Stipules	The appendages on each side of the base of certain leaves.
Style	The beak-like prolongation of the pistil above the ovary, which bears th stigma.
Umbel	The umbrella-like form of inflorescence in which the peduncles or pedicles all arise from one point. (click here to see an umbel)
Whorl	A group of thre or more leaves or stems radiating from a node. (click here to see whorled leaves)