| Botanical Terms | Description |
|---|---|
| A | |
| abaxial | The lower surface of a leaf |
| adaxial | the upper surface of a leaf |
| adnate | a fusion of different parts, e.g. stamens to the corolla |
| alternate | borne singly at each node and along the axis |
| androecium | a collective term for the stamens in a flower |
| annual |
a plant which completes its life cycle within one year or one growing season
|
| anther | the part of the stamen containing the pollen |
| apex | the distal end, tip, the highest point of attachment |
| aril | an appendage growing at or near the hilum of a seed |
| axil |
the angle between the stem and the leaf, e.g. a branch and a leaf
|
| B | |
| base | the point of attachment of any organ |
| berry |
a fleshy or pulpy indehiscent fruit with several to many seeds developing from a single pistil
|
| biennial |
a plant with a life cycle of two years from seedling stage to maturity, seed-set and then dying
|
| bilobed | divided into two lobes |
| bisexual |
having both sexes (stamens and pistils) in the same flower, or in the same inflorescence
|
| bole | the unbranched part of the trunk of a tree |
| bract | a modified leaf-like structure at the base of a flower ora modified leaf-like structure at the base of a flower or inflorescence |
| bud | a meristem (apical or lateral) in the early development ora meristem (apical or lateral) in the early development or resting stages |
| bulb | a modified underground storage organ with thickened fleshy modified underground storage organ with thickened fleshy scales, e.g. the onion |
| buttress | supporting outgrowth at the base of a tree |
|
C
|
|
| calyx | collective term for sepals |
| campanulate | bell-shaped |
| canopy | the uppermost layer of vegetation or branches of the tree uppermost layer of vegetation or branches of the trees usually in a forest |
| capitate | flowers growing together in a head-like or in head-shaped flowers growing together in a head-like or in a head-shaped cluster |
| capitulum | a small flower head in a dense cluster |
| capsule | a dry, dehiscent fruit composed of more united carpels |
| carpel | a female reproductive organ that bears ovules in angiosperms |
| compound | with two or more like parts in one organ |
| corolla | collective term for petals |
| cyme | a flower cluster with the pedicels of equal length and the central flower matured first |
| D | |
| deciduous | falling off, shedding all its leaves from a tree, not evergreen |
| dehiscent | breaking open at maturity to release the contents (of a fruit breaking open at maturity to release the contents (of a fruit capsule or anther) |
| dentate | prominently toothed along the margin with sharp, spreading prominently toothed along the margin with sharp, spreading symmetrical projections pointing outwards |
| dicotyledonous | with two cotyledons |
| dioecious | flowers imperfect, having male and female flowers on flowers imperfect, having male and female flowers on different plants |
| distinct | separate, not attached to mutual parts |
| divergent | diverging or spreading |
| distichous | in two opposite rows, one on each side of the stem |
| drupe | a fleshy indehiscent fruit with the seed enclosed in a stony fleshy indehiscent fruit with the seed enclosed in a stony endocarp, e.g. peach or cherry |
| duct | Tan elongated tube |
| E | |
| edentate | without teeth |
| ellipsoid | The 3-dimensional shape of an ellipse-shaped almost like a stretched circle, circular in cross-section, widest in the middle and tapering to each end |
| embryo | the immature plant within a seed |
| endocarp | the inner layer of the pericarp of a fruit wall |
| entire | Not toothed, notched or divided, usually referring to aleaf margin |
| epidermis | the outermost layer of cells |
| epigynous | with stamens, petals |
| erect | vertical, upright, not declining or spreading |
| evergreen | retaining green leaves or other organs throughout the year |
| exocarp | the outer layer of the pericarp of a fruit wall |
| F | |
| fascicle | a tight bundle or compact cluster, arising from a more or less tight bundle or compact cluster, arising from more or less the same point |
| fertile | capable of bearing seeds or pollens |
| fibrous | bearing or resembling fibers |
| filament | a thread-like structure, the stalk of the stamen which supports a thread-like structure, the stalk of the stamen which supports the anther |
| fleshy | thick and pulpy, succulent with high water content |
| floret | an individual small flower within a dense cluster of an individual small flower within a dense cluster of inflorescence |
| flower | the reproductive part of a plant |
| free | not attached or fused to other organs |
| fruit | a ripened, matured ovary or seed-bearing organ, with ora ripened, matured ovary or seed-bearing organ, with or without adnate parts |
| fusiform | spindle-shaped, thick in the middle but narrowly tapering spindle-shaped, thick in the middle but narrowly tapering towards both ends |
| G | |
| gall | an abnormal growth caused by insects, parasite, or fungus |
| gametophyte | a type of plant that produces gametes (eggs and/or sperm) |
| genome | a complete chromosome set |
| girth | the circumference of a tree bole |
| glabrous | smooth, without hair |
| gland | a secretory area or other structure on the surface, either a secretory area or other structure on the surface, either embedded or ending with hair that produces a sticky or oily substance |
| globose | globe-shaped, spherical |
| glume | the bracts usually occurring in pairs, at the base of a grass the bracts usually occurring in pairs, at the base of a grass spikelet |
| grain | a small, seed-like structure |
| granule | a small grain |
| H | |
| habit | the general appearance of vegetation, characteristics form, or the general appearance of vegetation, characteristics form, or mode of growth of a plant |
| hastate | arrowhead-shaped, leaf base with two triangular lobes arrowhead-shaped, leaf base with two triangular lobes pointed outward rather than downward |
| head | a short dense cluster of sessile or subsessile inflorescence |
| helicoid | spiraling, coiled like a helix or spring |
| herbaceous | with the characteristics of herb, not woody, having the texture with the characteristics of herb, not woody, having the texture of a leaf |
| hermaphrodite | bisexual plant with stamens and pistils in the same flower, bisexual plant with stamens and pistils in the same flower, perfect flower |
| hilum | a scar on a seed indicating its attachment point to the scar on a seed indicating its attachment point to the placenta |
| hirsute | pubescent with coarse, stiff, curving hairs |
| horn | an elongated cone or tapering projection, but often curved |
| hypanthium | a cup-shaped extension of tissue in a flower formed from the cup-shaped extension of tissue in a flower formed from the union of the basal parts of the sepals, petals, and stamens, commonly surrounding the pistils |
| I | |
| imparipinnate | odd-pinnate, unequally pinnate |
| imperfect | unisexual with either stamens or pistils, but not both |
| indehiscent | not splitting open at maturity along definite lines |
| inflorescence | the flowering part of a plant, or the arrangement of a flower cluster on the flowering axis |
| infructescence | the arrangement of fruits on a stem |
| innate | borne at the apex, as an anther at the apex of the filament |
| internode | the part of the stem between two nodes |
| intramarginal | within or near the margin |
| involucre | a whorl of bracts which are modified leaflets, subtending at whorl of bracts which are modified leaflets, subtending at the base flower or flower cluster |
| irregular | asymmetrical, which all parts of the flower are different in size asymmetrical, which all parts of the flower are different in size or shape |
| J | |
| joint | the section where an organ can bend, often swollen and the section where an organ can bend, often swollen and eventually break off, more commonly termed a node |
| jointed | having nodes of apparent articulation |
| jugate | joined parts in pairs, e.g. leaflets of a pinnate leaf |
| juvenile | young, early form |
| junciform | rush-like in form or appearance |
| K | |
| keel | a narrow, prominent longitudinal ridge sticking out from a narrow, prominent longitudinal ridge sticking out from the rounded surfaces, like the bottom of a boat hull |
| kingdom | a division or classification as in the plant kingdom |
| knee | a joint like a stem of a grass |
| knee root | breathing root where a loop of horizontal root formed at low breathing root where a loop of horizontal root formed at low tide |
| keiki | a plant produced asexually, usually of orchids as a distal plant produced asexually, usually of orchids as a distalvegetative branch of the main stem as in orchids, which will grow roots |
| dichotomous key | plant identification method using opposing choices |
| L | |
| label | one segment of a compound leaf |
| labellum | lip-shaped petal of an orchid blossom |
| lamella | thin plate, membrane; forming part of the corona |
| lamina | blade of leaves or petals |
| lateral | borne on or at the side of the margin |
| latex | a sticky texture like a milky sap |
| laticifer | a tube containing latex |
| lax | loose part, open and not compact arrangement |
| leader | the terminal part of a shoot or branch |
| leaflet | a part of a compound leaf |
| leaf scar | the mark left on twig or stem of a tree after leaf falls |
| lenticular | lentil-shaped or a 3-dimensional shape that is convex on lentil-shaped or a 3-dimensional shape that is convex onside and circular in section |
| limb | a tree branch; the extended part of a petal or leaf |
| linear | a long, narrow line parallel to margins |
| lobe | a rounded part or division of an organ |
| locule | separate cavity or chamber of an organ such as in ovary |
| M | |
| macrophyll | refer to leaf size which is relatively large and expanded |
| margin | the edge of the leaf blade |
| megaspore | spores that produce female gametophytes which produce spores that produce female gametophytes which produce egg cells |
| membranous | thin and soft membrane-like |
| mesophyll | part of leaf tissue found between upper and lower epidermis part of leaf tissue found between upper and lower epidermis of the leaf section |
| microphyll | a very short, small, narrow, single-veined leaf |
| microspore | spore that produces male gametophyte in some ferns |
| membrane | thin, film-like, flexible and often translucent |
| morphology | a study of the form and appearance of an organism |
| monoecious | staminate and pistillate flowers borne on the same plant |
| mericarp | part of the fruit that contains seed and not forming a single unit |
| meristem | dividing tissue at the growing tips of shoots and roots |
| midrib | central or primary vein of a leaf or another organ |
| mesocarp | the middle layer of the pericarp of fruit with the fleshy or succulent middle layer of the pericarp of fruit with the fleshy or succulent part |
| mucronate | tipped with a short and sharp point |
| N | |
| natant | floating in water |
| numerous | many, more than ten |
| necrotic | dead plant tissues that darken the plant |
| nectar | sticky, sweet fluid secreted by plants usually to attract sticky, sweet fluid secreted by plants usually to attract pollinators |
| nectary | the organ that produces nectar |
| nerve | simple vein or rib of a leaf |
| neuter | no stamens or pistils, sexless |
| nocturnal | active at night |
| node | the area of attachment of leaves or branches on the stem |
| nodule | a swelling shape |
| nothotaxon | unit of classification for hybrids |
| nut | indehiscent fruit usually hard and dry |
| nyctanthous | flowering at night |
| nyctigamous | opening at night |
| nyctitropic | movement or plant parts positioning that occurs at night |
| o | |
| obligate | restricted to particular conditions, life form or habitat |
| oblique | unequal sides near the base |
| oblong | the shape of longer than breadth with almost parallel sides |
| obovate | shape with the broadest part near the apex |
| ocrea | a tubular stipule sheathing around the stem |
| odd-pinnnate | pinnately compound leaf in a terminal leaflet with an odd number |
| offset | a lateral shoot near the ground, often prostrate |
| opposite | borne on the same node but across from one another |
| organ | any plant part of a plant structure with a specific function |
| ovate | egg-shaped with the wider part below the middle, broad end |
| oblanceolate | shape with attachment at the narrower end |
| ovary | expanded basal portion, the ovule-bearing part of the expanded basal portion, the ovule-bearing part of the gynoecium |
| offshoot | lateral shoot or branch arising from the main stem |
| ovoid | egg-shaped with the broad part below the middle or nearest to egg-shaped with broad part below the middle or nearest to the base |
| ovule | an immature seed in the ovary |
| P | |
| palmate | with parts originating from a common or central point, like with parts originating from a common or central point, like fingers of a hand |
| palmatifid | cut to a palmate form, palmately lobed |
| panicle | a branched, indeterminate flower cluster (inflorescence) with a branched, indeterminate flower cluster (inflorescence) with individual flowers on stalks (pedicels). |
| papillose | covered by many small soft nipple-like projections |
| pedicel | the stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence |
| peduncle | the stalk of a solitary flower or inflorescence |
| peltate | round and attached at or near the center, shield-shaped |
| perennial | living for three too many years |
| perfect | having both male and female parts |
| perianth | collective term for the calyx and corolla |
| pericarp | the wall of fruit |
| petal | an individual segment of a divided corolla, typically colored |
| petiole | the stalk of a leaf |
| phloem | a conducting tissue which transports food in vascular plants |
| pinnate | a compound leaf divided into a central axis and leaflets |
| pilose | soft hairy with short, straight and thin hairs |
| pistil | female reproductive organ of a flower which consists of female reproductive organ of a flower which consists of ovary, style, and stigma |
| pit | a small hollow or openings in the wall of tracheids and vessela small hollow or openings in the wall of tracheids and vessel elements |
| placenta | the part of the ovary which bears ovules or seeds |
| pod | dry dehiscent fruit which splits open when ripe |
| pollen | powder-like substance produced by male part of a flower,powder-like substance produced by male part of a flower, acts as a fertilising agent |
| prickle | sharp and small thorn or outgrowth from the epidermis |
| procumbent | trailing or lying on the ground, but not rooting at the nodes |
| prominent | standing out or projecting from the surrounding surface, such as standing out or projecting from the surrounding surface, such as raised veins on the surface of a leaf |
| prostrate | lying flat on the ground |
| pseudo- | (prefix) meaning false |
| puberulent | minutely short and fine hairs |
| pubescent | covered with dense, short and soft hair |
| pulverulent | appearing dusty or powdery |
| pungent | tipped with a sharp, rigid point |
| pyrene | the stone or pit of a fruit |
| Q | |
| quadrangular | having four angles |
| quadrate | almost square or rectangular in form |
| quinary | in fives |
| quinquepartite | deeply divided into five parts |
| quoad | to the extent of |
| R | |
| raceme | flower cluster, unbranched and elongated with pedicellateflower cluster, unbranched and elongated with pedicellateflowers maturing from the bottom to terminal |
| rachis | main axis of a structure |
| recumbent | leaning or resting on the ground |
| radiate | with parts spreading from a common centre |
| radicle | primary root which develops from germinating seed |
| remote | distantly spaced |
| reniform | kidney-shaped |
| resinous | bearing resin and often sticky |
| reticulum | a network of veins |
| retuse | with a shallow notch in a round or blunt apex |
| rhizome | a horizontal underground stem consisting of nodes or buds |
| rib | a main longitudinal vein in a structure particularly raised a main longitudinal vein in a structure particularly raised above the surrounding surface |
| rind | a thick, tough, outer covering layer |
| ripe | complete and fully developed, mature |
| root | plant part found underground and usually lacking with nodes plant part found underground and usually lacking with nodes or leaves |
| rosette | a tightly clustered and packed leaves, usually at or near a tightly clustered and packed leaves, usually at or near the ground |
| rotund | nearly round or rounded in the outline |
| rudimentary | non-functional and imperfectly developed |
| rugose | wrinkled |
| runner | a slender stolon or prostrate stem rooting at the nodes or at a slender stolon or prostrate stem rooting at the nodes or at the tip along the surface of the ground |
| S | |
| sac | a bag-shaped compartment or small cavity within an organism |
| sagittate | arrow-head shaped, with the basal acute lobes pointing arrow-head shaped, with the basal acute lobes pointing downward |
| sap | the fluids of a plant |
| sarmentose | with long, thin and slender runners |
| scabrid | roughened with minute stiff hairs |
| scalariform | ladder-like |
| scale | any thin, small, flat, scarious structure, often encloses aflower |
| scape | a leafless peduncle arising from ground |
| scar | a mark left on stem or branch by fallen leaves or fruits |
| scutellum | a small plate-like or shield-like structure |
| seed | a ripened ovule capable to develop into another plant |
| segment | a division of an organ |
| sepal | a segment of a calyx |
| septate | divided by one or more partitions |
| serrate | saw-like teeth along margin pointing towards the apex |
| sessile | attached directly without stalk |
| sheath | a tubular part or organ, as the leaf base of grass surrounds a tubular part or organ, as the leaf base of grass surrounds the stem |
| shoot | a young stem or branch |
| shrub | a woody perennial plant with several stems, smaller than aa woody perennial plant with several stems, smaller than a tree |
| simple | undivided |
| sinuate | with a deep wavy, uneven margin |
| sinuous | of a wavy or serpentine form |
| solitary | single, not borne in a group |
| spathe | a large sheathing bract and often enclosing a flower cluster |
| spike | an unbranched, elongated racemose inflorescence with an unbranched, elongated racemose inflorescence with sessile or subsessile flowers maturing from the bottom upwards |
| spikelet | a small spike or secondary spike |
| spine | a stiff, slender, sharp pointed and hardened structure |
| stalk | supporting structure attached to an organ and the sizesupporting structure attached to an organ and the sizeusually narrower than the organ |
| stamen | the male reproductive structure of a flower, consisting ofthe male reproductive structure of a flower, consisting ofanther and filament |
| stem | plant part above the ground usually consisting of nodes,plant part above the ground usually consisting of nodes,buds, and leaf attachment |
| stipe | a stalk supporting structure |
| stolon | an elongate, horizontal stem creeping along the ground andan elongate, horizontal stem creeping along the ground andgiving rise to a new plant |
| stone | hard, woody endocarp of a drupe |
| style | usually narrowed and slender portion of pistil between theusually narrowed and slender portion of pistil between thestigma and ovary |
| sub- | (prefix) meaning under, slightly or almost |
| succulent | juicy and fleshy plant part as in cactus |
| sucker | shoot arising from underground |
| superior | the ovary part that is attached above the other whorls of floralthe ovary part that is attached above the other whorls of floralpart |
| syncarp | a multiple fruit or aggregate fruit |
| T | |
| tendril | a slender, coiling structure used to grasp support for climbing |
| terete | round in cross section or cylindrical structure |
| testa | the seed coat |
| thorn | a stiff, short woody, modified stem with a sharp point |
| throat | a part of corolla-tube widen into the mouth and apical part ofa part of corolla-tube widen into the mouth and apical part ofcorolla tube is below the mouth |
| thyrse | a mixed inflorescence, compact or ovate panicle of cylindricala mixed inflorescence, compact or ovate panicle of cylindricalform, with main axis indeterminate and cymose at secondaryaxis |
| toothed | dentate |
| trailing | prostrate and creeping on the ground but not rooting |
| trichome | a hair-like, bristle outgrowth of the epidermis |
| truncate | with the apex or base squared at the end as if cut off |
| trunk | the main stem of a tree below the crown branches |
| tuber | the thickened modified part of underground stem bearingthe thickened modified part of underground stem bearing nodes and buds for food storage |
| tufted | arranged in a dense, tight cluster |
| tunic | the outer coating of a seed or bulb consisting of dead leafthe outer coating of a seed or bulb consisting of dead leafbases |
| twig | a small shoot or branch from a tree |
| twining | coiling or spiraling around another structure as support forcoiling or spiraling around another structure as support fo rclimbing |
| U | |
| umbel | inflorescence which forms a flat-topped surface with theinflorescence which forms a flat-topped surface with thepedicels arising more or less from a common point |
| umbo | a small blunt or rounded protuberance |
| unarmed | lacking spine, prickle or thorn |
| uncinate | hooked at the tip |
| unifoliate | with a single leaf |
| unilateral | inflorescence with the flowers all on one side of the axis |
| uniseriate | arranged in a single horizontal row or series |
| unisexual | a flower with either male or female reproductive organs, buta flower with either male or female reproductive organs, butnot both |
| urn | the basal portion of a pyxis |
| V | |
| valve | one of the segments of a dehiscent fruit, splitting of a capsuleone of the segments of a dehiscent fruit, splitting of a capsulewhen matured |
| variegated | marked with the patches or spots of variety of colors |
| vascular | conductive tissue of xylem and phloem |
| vegetative | of or pertaining to the non-floral parts of a plant |
| vein | a vascular bundle, usually visible on a surface, as in leaves |
| vermiform | worm-shaped |
| vertical | positioned in the direction perpendicular to the horizontalpositioned in the direction perpendicular to the horizontalsurface |
| vesicle | a small bladder-like structure or cavity |
| vessel | a conducting structure of the xylem to transport water |
| villous | bearing long, soft, weak hairs |
| vine | a climbing or trailing plant with small stem diametre, not selfsupporting |
| viscid | sticky or gummy |
| W | |
| wart | a small, hard and firm protuberance |
| weed | an aggressive plant which colonises disturbed habitats |
| whorl | a ring-like arrangement of similar organs borne from aa ring-like arrangement of similar organs borne from acommon point |
| wing | a thin margin and flat extension structure |
| winged | possessing wings |
| woolly | with long, soft, entangled hairs |
| X | |
| xanthic | yellowish |
| xanthophyll | yellow, orange or red fat-soluble pigments |
| xerophyte | a plant adapted to grow in dry environment |
| xeromorphic | possessing obvious physical adaptations for a drypossessing obvious physical adaptations for a dryenvironment |
| xylem | the conducting tissue of vascular plants which transportsthe conducting tissue of vascular plants which transportswater and some nutrients |
| Z | |
| zonate | marked or coloured in circular rings or zones |
| zygomorphic | having only one plane of symmetry that produce a mirrorhaving only one plane of symmetry that produce a mirrorimage on either side |
GlobinMed Secretariat,
Integrative Health Information Unit
(Unit Informasi Kesihatan Integratif),
Integrative Health Information Unit
(Unit Informasi Kesihatan Integratif),
Herbal Medicine Research Center,
Institute for Medical Research,
Block C, National Institutes of Health (NIH),
No.1, Jalan Setia Murni u13/52,
Seksyen U13, Bandar Setia Alam,
40170 Shah Alam, Selangor
Tel: +603-33627657
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]