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BOTANICAL GLOSSARY

Glossary of commonly used botanical terms and their definitions. Use the search bar below to look up a botanical term.

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15 Random Botanical Terms

Involucel - A bract or bracts subtending an individual flower in a compound inflorescence.

FACW* - Facultative Wetland - Hydrophyte. Usually occurs in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands. Occurs only in the South Pacific Islands subregion.

Vine - Plants that climb by twining, tendrils, or clinging.

Prostrate - Lying flat on the ground.

Rachis - The axis of a pinnately compound leaf.

Leaflet - A division or part of a compound leaf.

Aggregate - Fruit developed from multiple pistils in a single flower, e.g. raspberry (Rubus spp.).

Hastate - A triangle with two sides abruptly concave; in the form of two pointed lobes pointing outwards.

Capitulum - An inflorescence composed of multiple florets arranged in a flower head and surrounded by an involucre of bracts as found on many species in Asteraceae.

Acaulescent - Without a distinct stem.

Diurnal - Open during the day and closed at night.

Acuminate - Gradually tapering to a point.

Ray - The outer irregular flowers in the heads of many Compositae (Sunflower Family). Each has a single, tongue-shaped corolla.

Tendril - A slender coiling or twining structure modified from a leaf, branch, or other organ.

Fibrous - Network of fine roots with no central dominant root.