Native Plants
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Glossary of commonly used botanical terms and their definitions. Use the search bar below to look up a botanical term.
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.