Glossary
Showing 50 of 248 terms
- Cyathia
- In Euphorbia, the cuplike involucre containing the staminate and pistillate flowers.
- Cyme
- A flat-topped or convex flower cluster with the central flowers blooming first. See drawing of inflorescence types.
- Decoction
- A liquid preparation made by boiling a plant in water.
- Decreaser
- A plant that decreases in abundance under grazing.
- Decumbent
- The stems or branches recline on the ground, but the seed head is upright. See drawing of stem forms.
- Decurrent
- Extending downward from the point of attachment. See drawing of leaf attachments.
- Dehiscent
- Splitting into one or more apertures at maturity and thereby releasing the contents.
- Dentate
- A toothed leaf margin with the teeth projecting outward.
- Diadelphous
- Stamens with filaments united in two groups, often unequal in number.
- Diffuse
- Loosely spreading.
- Dioecious
- The staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers occur on separate plants.
- Discoid
- Applied to flower heads of Asteraceae having only tubular flowers; or flattened and round like a disk (solid shape).
- Distal
- Away from the main axis.
- Disturbed
- Habitats impacted by settlement.
- Diuretic
- A substance that increases the amount of urine passed.
- Dropsy
- A medical condition where fluid gathers in parts of the body, causing swelling.
- Drupe
- A fleshy fruit with one seed enclosed in a stony endocarp.
- Elliptic
- Oval-shaped, with the widest part in the middle and tapering toward both ends. See drawing of leaf shapes.
- Elongate
- Narrow, with the length many times the width.
- Emarginate
- A notch at the rounded apex. See leaf apex drawings.
- Emersed
- Reaching above the surface of the water.
- Emetic
- Something that causes vomiting.
- Entire
- A continuous margin without any kind of teeth or lobes. See drawing of leaf margins.
- Erect
- Upright. See drawing of stem forms.
- Erose
- Irregularly notched at the tip. Appears "gnawed" or eroded.
- Escaped
- Plants that have been cultivated, but spread from that location into the wild.
- Exserted
- Projecting or protruding beyond.
- Family
- A taxonomic category higher than a genus. A group of plants with biologically similar features. For plants, family names end in -aceae.
- Filament
- The part of the stamen which supports the anther. The stalk of the stamen. See drawing of flower parts.
- Filiform
- Long and slender, thread-like. See drawing of leaf shapes.
- Fillaries
- Involucral bracts that surround the heads of composites like Asteraceae.
- Flexuous
- Zigzag or wavy.
- Floccose
- Covered with tufts of soft, woolly hairs that rub off easily.
- Floret
- Small, individual flower. The ray and disc florets make up the compound flower in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), while the lemma, palea and included flower make up a floret in a grass plant. See drawing of flower parts and drawing of parts of a grass plant.
- Floricane
- In the genus Rubus, the second-year growth of a biennial stem that bears leaves, flowers, and fruits.
- Flower
- The reproductive part of a plant. It is usually composed of petals, sepals, stamens, and a pistil.
- Follicle
- A dry, dehiscent fruit, produced from a simple ovary, which opens along one suture.
- Forb
- Non-woody or non-grass or grass=like plants whaose above ground stem does not survive the winter. Forbs have solid stems and generally have broad, net veined leaves. Their flowers are often large, colorful, and showy. See drawing of plant group characteristics.
- Fornices
- In Boraginaceae, a set of small of crests or scales at the throat of a corolla.
- Fruit
- The ripe seed, berry, or grain.
- Fusiform
- Spindle-shaped; widest at the middle and each end narrowed to a point, round in cross-section.
- Geniculate
- Bent sharply, like a knee.
- Genus
- A group of closely related species. Ranks next above the species and next below the family. The genus name is capitalized and immediately precedes the species name in a scientific description of an organism.
- Glabrous
- Smooth and hairless.
- Glaucous
- Covered with a wax-like coating that gives a bluish-green color.
- Globose
- Spherical.
- Glochid
- A small barbed hair or bristle.
- Glomerule
- Small, dense, head-like cluster of minute flowers.
- Glumes
- The lowermost and empty bracts at the base of a grass spikelet. Usually there are two. See drawing of parts of a grass plant.
- Grass
- Plants of the family Poaceae (Gramineae). Grasses are characterized by rounded, hollow or pithy jointed stems (culms), and narrow sheathing leaves with parallel veins. The leaves alternate on two sides of the stem. The junction of the blade and sheath often bears an erect fringe of hairs (ligule) and sometimes also earlike projections (auricles). Flowers are borne in reduced spikes (spikelets). See drawing of plant group characteristics.