Connecting People with Nature

Nature Terms

A Brief Glossary for Nature Lovers, Natural Historians, and other folks interested in Biology.


A

Achene
A small, dry fruit with one seed
Alternate
With leaves arranged in a staggered fashion, as opposed to directly opposite one another. examples of trees with alternate leaves.
Annual
A plant which completes its entire lifecycle, from germination to setting seeds, in one year.
Aquatic
Plant or animal life adapted to water
Aromatic
Having a strong fragrance
Axil
The point where a leaf meets the stem of a plant


B

Basal Area
The cross-sectional area of a tree or other vegetation. A measure of the volume of plant life in a forest or other habitat.
Basal Leaves
Leaves arranged at the lowest portion of a plant, generally at ground level.
Bog
An acidic wetland habitat with no natural surface water inlet or outlet, with an accumulation of Sphagnum moss.
Bracts
A leaf-like growth below a flower
Bud
A small protrusion on a stem which consists of immature cells that may later form a leaf, additional stem, or flowers.


C

Calyx
The outer ring of flower parts, or sepals.
Capsule
A dry fruit which splits at least partially open at maturity.
Catkin
A dry, oblong pendulant flowering spike.
Compound Leaves
Leaves composed of more than 1 leaflet.
Corm
A small, roundish underground plant stem structure used to store energy.
Corolla
Collectively, all the petals of a flower.
Corymb
A flat-topped flower structure, in which the outer flowers sit upon longer pedicels, and the inner upon shorter pedicels.
Cotyledon
Seed leaf, the first leaf of a germinating seed.


D

Deciduous
A plant which sheds its leaves during some portion of the year.
Diameter at Breast Height
A standard measurement of tree growth in inches or centimeters, by convention taken at a point 4.5 feet from ground level.
Dicot
A plant having two cotyledons, or seed leaves.
Disc Flower
Small, inner cluster of flowers in a composite, such as the yellow part of a daisy flower.
Dissected
Finely divided leaves; lacelike


E

Elliptical
Oval shaped (in this sense usually refering to leaf shape).
Emergent
Aquatic plants having some or most of the leaf area extending out of the water.
Entire
A leaf with neither lobes nor teeth on the margins.
Even-aged
A forestry term meaning that the dominant trees in a forest stand are roughly of the same age.
Evergreen
Plants that keep their leaves throughout the year, such as white pine or Norway spruce.


F

Forb
Broadleaved, herbaceous plants that are not grasses.
Fungus
A primative plant-like form of life lacking chlorophyl.


G

Glandular
Bearing structures which secrete moisture, or that resemble glands.
Glaucus
Having a bluish-white coating which disappears when rubbed.
Grass
Members of the Family Gramineae; generally narrow-leaved green monocots.


H

Herb
A plant without a woody stem, including both grasses and forbs.
Herbivore
An animal that eats only plant material.


I

Involucre
A cluster of bracts under a flower.


J



K



L

Lanceolate
Lance-shaped; longer than wide, tapering to the tip.
Leaf Scar
The remnant marking a spot where a leaf had been attached to a woody plant.
Leaflet
Small leaves which together make up a compound leaf.
Lenticel
Slightly raised areas on the bark of a tree.


M



N

Node
Where a bud or leaf is attached to a stem of a plant.


O

Obovate
A leaf shape resembling an elongated egg, with the widest part above the middle.
Opposite
With leaves arranged directly across from one another on a stem, as opposed to Alternate, or Whorled leaf arrangements.
Ovate
A leaf that is generally egg shaped.
Ovoid
A leaf that is generally oval, rounded on both ends.


P

Palmate
A compound leaf arranged so that all leaflets emanate from one point, shaped roughly like the palm of a hand.
Panicle
A flower stalk having a main stem and branches, with the lower fowers opening before those higher on the stem.
Perennial
A plant that contiues to grow more than one year, as opposed to an Annual.
Pedicel
The stalk of an individual flower.
Petal
Modified leaves surrounding the reproductive portions of a flower; the individual parts of the corolla.
Petiole
The stem of a leaf, which attaches the leaf to the main stem of the plant.
Phloem
A portion of the stem of a plant that conducts fluids from the leaves to the roots, composed of small tubes,
Photosynthesis
The process whereby plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into useful energy.
Pilose
Covered with long, thin, soft hairs.
Pinnate
A compound leaf with the individual leaflets arranged opposite one another on a central stalk.
Pistil
The female reproductive structure of a plant, made up of the stigma, style and ovary.
Pith
The white, spongy substance found inside the stem of many plants.
Pod
A dry, sometimes flattened fruit of a plant, bearing one to many seeds.


Q



R

Raceme
A flower spike with the flowers all being attached to a main stem, either directly, or on pedicels.
Ray Flowers
The outer flowers of composites, generally giving the appearance of petals.
Rhizome
An underground, horizontal stem
Root Hair
Small structures on the roots of plants, which abosorbs nutrients from the soil.
Rosette
A cluster of spreading leaves.
Rush
A grass-like plant with long round stems, which usually grows in wet areas.


S

Sedge
A grass-like plant with flat, generally keeled leaves, which usually grows in wet areas.
Sepal
A part of the calyx of a flowering plant, usually a greenish bract subtending the petals.
Shrub
Low growing (to 15 feet) woody plants, usually composed of multiple stems radiating from the same point near the ground.
Simple Leaf
A leaf composed of only one undivided leaflet on a single petiole.
Species
In taxonomy, the division below Genus, which consists of individuals which produce viable offspring.
Stamen
The male reproductive organ of a flowering plant, composed of a filament and an anther.
Stigma
A part of the pistil, the top of the style, where pollen enters the Pistil.
Style
The tube connecting the Stigma to the Ovary in a flowering plant.
Stipule
A small, leaf-like bract at the base of a petiole, usually found in pairs, one on each side of the petiole.
Stoma
A small opening in a leaf, where air can enter and exit.
Stomata
Plural form of Stoma.


T

Taproot
A thick central root which anchors some plants.
Tree
Large woody plant which matures to a hieght greater than 15 feet, and is perennial.
Tuber
A fleshy root or swollen underground stem.


U

Umbel
A flower structure shaped like an umbrella.


V

Vascular Bundles
Strands of xylem and phloem in a leaf stem, the remanants of which can be seen in leaf scars on winter twigs.
Venation
The pattern of veins in a leaf.


W

Whorled
A leaf arrangement wherein three or more leaves arise around the same point on a stem, as opposed to Alternate or Opposite.


X

Xylem
Plant vascular tissue which moves water and nutrients from roots to leaves.


Y



Z

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