acaulescent- having no stem or almost none.
achene- a small, dry fruit with one seed that does not open spontaneously.
acicular- shape of a narrow, cylindrical leaf; needle-like.
acorn- an achene that grows in a cup.
acicular- needle-shaped.
acuminate- tapering to a sharp point.
acute- pointed, but not tapering.
adpressed- pressed flat to the axis.
adventitious- growing from some part of a plant other than the main root.
aerial- above ground level.
agglomerate- collected or gathered in a mass.
alburnum- the lightest colored wood immediately beneath the bark sapwood.
alternate- arranged singly on different sides of the stem and a different heights.
amplexicaul- a sessile leaf with its base clasping the stem or scape.
annual- completing its life cycle in the course of a year.
anther- pollen bearing part of the stamen, borne at the top of the filament of sometimes on its own.
apex- tip, point, vertex.
apical- forming a point.
apiculate- ending in a short, sharp point.
apothecium- spore-holding body of certain fungi and lichens.
appressed- lying flat against the surface.
aril- a fleshy secondary covering over the seeds of  some gymnosperms.
aristate- tipped with a beard or awn. eg barley.
auricle- small appendage at the base of a leaf.
awn- the apical bristle on the bracts that envelop the inflorescences of the Gramineae- grasses. Also called arista or beard.
axil- angle between upper side of leaf and supporting branch or stem.

bearded- equipped with an awn, beard or arista.
berry- a fruit with an inner layer to the fruit wall, a fleshy central tissue area and a number of seeds- eg tomato.
bicarpellate- formed from two carpels.
biennial- completing its life cycle in the course of two years.
bifid- cleft into two, no deeper than half-way.
bilobate- two-lobed.
bilabiate- formed into two lips.
bipinnate- pinnately divided, with the leaflets also pinnate.
biternate- (of leaves) formed into two sets of three.
bloom- fine whitish coargin on the surface of parts of a plant, consisting of minute grains of a waxy substance.
bract- a much-reduced leaf, particularly one of the small or scale-like leaves in a flower cluster, or associated with the flowers.
bud- a protuberance on a plant, from which a leaf, shoot or flower develops.
bulb- an ovoid, underground bud consisting of overlapping layers of fleshy leaves, acting a an organ of storage and vegetative reproduction.
bulbil- a small bulb replacing flower bud- eg common onion.

caducous- dropping off very early; deciduous.
campanulate- bell-shaped.
calamus- the hollow stem of a plant with few articulations. eg reed.
calyptra- the apical part of a root. Also known as the pileorhiza, root-cap.
calyx- a collective name for the outer whorl of the flower formed by leaf-like petals known as sepals and which are usually green. The covering of the bud, before the flower opens.
capitulum, head- an inflorescence consisting of a head of densely packed stalkless flowers.
capsule- dry, many-sectioned fruit which generally splits open to release its numerous seeds.
carina- a longitudinal ridge; part of the flower of legumes.
carpel- a component of the gynaecium that encloses the ovules and bears the stigma.
caryopsis- a small achene in which the pericarp is fused to the seed. eg wheat.
catkin- a pendulous, slender spike of unisexual flowers.
cauline- growing from the stem.
cladode- a modified stem resembling a leaf.
composite- made up of several distinct parts.
compound- consisting of two or more similar parts. eg leaflets.
cone, strobilus- bract forming an inflorescence in a cylindrical conical shape, characteristic of conifers.
connate- joined or attached to; used with similar parts fused during formation. eg petals.
cordate (of leaves)- heart shaped- usually at base of leaf.
coriaceous- leather-like.
corm- short, fleshy, bulb-like suberranean stem.
corolla- collective term for all the petals of a flower.
cortex- the covering of the trunk or main stem and branches of a bush shrub or tree = bark.
corymb- flat-topped inflorescence where the flower stalks on the outside are longer so that the flowers are at the same level, with the outside flowers opening first. .
cotyledons- embryonic leaf prsent in the seed. Monocotyledon plants have one, dicotyledon plants have two. Gymnosperms- several.
cremocarp- bicarpellate fruit splitting when ripe into two mericarps which remain hanging from the plant. .
crenate leaves- edged with shallow, rounded indentations.
cryptogamic- without true flowers and seeds. eg. ferns and mosses.
culm- a tough, hollow, jointed stalk eg. grasses and sedge.
cultivar- a variety of a plant which was produced from a natural species and is maintained by cultivation: abrbreviated to cv.
cuneate leaves- wedge shaped, tapering towards the stalk.
cuspidate- having a sharp, rigid point at the apex.
cyme- an inflorescence in which the primary axis bears a single terminal flower which develops first, the inflorescence being continued as subsequent flowers develop as terminal buds of lateral stems.
cyathium- an inflorescence in which several male flowers- each reduced to a single stamen, and a single female flower- reduced to a stalked, three carpelled pistil, are congested within a small, cuplike involucre. In dioecious species each involucre contains only male or female flower.

deciduous- shedding leaves seasonally.
decorticated- bark or husk that hasbeen removed.
decurrent- a leaf that narrows down into the petiole and main stem.
decussate- said of pairs of opposite leaves when they are at a 90 degree angle to those above and below.
dehiscent (of fruits) that open spontaneously on ripening to release the seeds.
dentate (of leaves) with a sharply toothed margin.
diachaenium- cremocarp.
digitate (of leaves)- having leaflets which are arranged like the fingers of a hand = palmate.
dioecious (species) in which the male and female sex organs (flowers).
double-locular- having two chambers or compartments.
drupe- a fruit with a thin outer layer, a fleshy inner layer and a stone consisting of a hard casing and a seed.

endocarp- the interior of the fruit wall; it may be membranous or woody.
ensiform (of leaves)- sword-shaped.
epicarp- the outermost layer of the fruit.

fasciculate- growing in bundles.
fistular, fistulose- the hollow, cylindrical stem a a herbaceous plant eg. reed grass.

gamopetalous- having petals that are joined.
glabrous- hairless.
glomerule- a cluster of flowers.
glume- one of a pair of dry bracts enclosing the base of each spikelet (of grasses).
gynaecium- the female part of the flower formed by the capels.
hastate (of leaves) spear-shaped.

haustorium- an organ of parasitical plants which penetrates the host plant and absorbs vital substances.
hesperidium- a fruit of which the endocarp is divided into chambers. eg citrus fruits.
hispid- covered with long stiff hairs.

imbicate- overlapping, like tiles on a roof.
imparipinnate (of compound leaves)- with a terminal leaflet.
indehiscent (a druit) that does not drop its seeds spontaneously when they ripen.
indented (of leaves) with an indented margin.
inflorescence- a group of flowers that grow on the same stem.
involucre- a collection or rosette of bracts subtending a flower cluster.

lacerate leaves- with a jagged, irregular margin.
laciniae- deep, narrow incisions in the margin of a leaf or petal.
laciniate of leaves- with a margin cut into deep, marrow and irregular strips.
lamina or blade- the flattened surface of a leaf.
lanceolate leaves- lance- shaped, tapering to a pointed apex.
legume- or pod- a fruit that opens in two on ripening.
lenticel- a pore through young bark which allows for gaseous exchange.
ligule- a thin appendage at the base of the blade of a leaf.
locule- the chanber or cavity or an ovary.
lobate leaves- divided into lobes.
lyrate leaves- lyre-shaped, the terminal lobe being larger than the lateral ones.

mucronate leaves- tipped with a short point.
multifid leaves- divided into several lobes for more than half its length.
nodose- with knot-like protruberances.

obovate leaves- having an oval shape with the narrowest part at the base.
obtuse leaves- with the tip bluntly rounded.
orbicular leaves- more or less circular.
ovary- the lower part of the pirtil that contains the ovules.
ovoid- egg-shaped, having the solid hsape of an egg.

pagina- the surface of a leaf.
palmate leaf- shaped like the palm of a hand with deep, fingerlike lobes.
palmate-lobate leaf- palmate with deep cut lobes.
palmate-parted- a palmate leaf with lobes cut more than half way.
palmatifid- applied to a palmate leaf in which the incisions only reach halfway down the pagina.
palmatisect- applided to a plamate leaf with deep divisions forming segments joined at the base.
panicle- an inflorescence shaped like a pyramid.
pappus- a ring of fine hairs on some types of seed which aid wind-dispersal.
parted leaves- cleft almost to the mid-rib.
pedicel- the stalk of a flower.
peduncle- the stalk of an infloresence.
peltate- almost circular and flat with a central pedicel.eg nasturtium.
perfoliate- a leaf base which envelopes its stem.
perianth- a collective term for both the calux and corolla.
pericarp- the external layter of a fruit.
petiole- a leaf-stalk.
phyllotaxis- the system of leaf insertion on the stem.
pilose- covered with downy hair.
pinnate- applied to a compound leaf which ahs leaflets on both sides of its rachis = axis.
pinnate-parted leaves- cut almost to the midrib.
pinnatifid leaves- cut to about laf-way between the margin and the mid-rib.
pinnatisect leaves- cut to the midrib.
pistil- the female part of the flower.

raceme- an inflorescence on a single axis where each flower is stalked.
rectinerved- describes a leaf with reticulated venation.
rhizome- an underground stem which acts as a sotrage organ.
root- the part of a plant that anchors it in the soil and absorbs nutriment and moisture necessary for growth.
runcinate- applied to a pinnatifid leaf in which the sharply curved cuts between the lobes are directed towards the base.
runner- a long slender stem with leaves springing from its nodes.

sagittate leaves- arrow shaped.
samara- an achene with a wind-like extension of the outer-casing.
scabrous- with a rough surface.
scape- a flower stalk with grows from the centyre of a rosette of leaves;
sect of leaves- a cut in the surface which reaches the mid-rib or the base.
seed- the ripened ovule of a plant containing the embryo, the means by which a plant may propagate sexually.
sepal- a leaf-like segment of the calyx, making up the outer whorl of the flower.
serrate leaves- have a toothes margin, like a saw.
sessile- without petiole, peduncle, or pedicel.
siliqua- a fruit that opens on ripening to disclose a diaphragm with seeds.
sinuate leaf margins- with shallow indentations.
sorus- a group of sporangia, which contain the reproductive cells of the plant, on the fronds of a fern.
spadix- an inflorescence on a single axis surrounded by a type of bract known as a spathe.
spathe- a large sheathing-leaf, which envelopes the inflorescence.
spathulate leaves- spoon shaped.
spine- a needle-like modification of the epidermis.
stamen- the masculine organ of a flower made up of a filament and anther.
stele- the core of the stem of plants.
stem, or stalk- the bearing organ or the plant.
stigma- the terminal part of the gynaecium, which receives the pollen.
stipule- a leaf-like appendage at the base of many leaves.
stolon- a creeping root that puts out adventitious roots.
strobilus- see cone.
style- the narrow tube that runs between the ovary and the stigma.
sucker- a shoot thrown up by an emergent root.
suffruticose, suffrutescent- or subshrubby- applied to a small plant with woody branches but a herbaceous apex.
syconium, sycorus- a fleshy, false fruit that contains achenes.

taproot- the main anchoring root which grows muach larger than the secondary roots.
tomentose- covered with wooly hairs.
trigonal- triangular in cross section. triocular- having three changers or cells.
trilocular- having three chanbers or cells.
tripinnatisect- a leaf in which the pinnately divided leaflets are themselves pinnately divided.
triploid- having a chromosome number that is three times the basic, or haploid, number.
tuber- a swollen, underground stem contaning a sotre of nutritive materials.
turion- a fleshy, underground bud shooting up from the stem.

umbel- an inlforescence in which all the flower ar at the same height.
umbilicate- having a navel-like depression.

vascular tissue- plant tissue consisting of ducts or vessels that, in the higher plants, forms the tissue.
venation- arrangement of the veins in a leaf.
vexillum- the large, upper petal of a papilionaceous plant.

whorl- or verticel, an arrangement of leaves or flowers arisingfrom the same level on the stem.

(NIHS,MEMP).