Glossary - Botanical

Abiotic - Refers to things that are not and never have been alive. Compare: biotic. (4)
Accessory fruit - A fruit that contains nonovarian tissue. Synonym: false fruit. (4)
Acid rain - Rain that has become acidic due to air pollution; it can damage plant cuticle as well as speed the leaching of minerals from soil. (4)
Active transport - The forced pumping of molecules from one side of a membrane to the other by means of molecular pumps located in the membrane. (4)
Adult plant - A plant that is mature enough to flower. Alternative: juvenile plant. (4)
Aerial parts - Parts of plant growing above ground. (1)
Aggregate fruit - A fruit that develops from the crowding together of several separate carpels of one flower. Alternatives: simple fruit and multiple fruit. (4)
Amino acid - A small molecule containing an amino group and a carboxyl group; the monomers of proteins. (4)
Amylase - An enzyme that digests amylose (starch). (4)
Anabolism - Metabolism in which large molecules are constructed from small ones. Alternative: catabolism. (4)
Anaphase - The third phase of mitosis; at the metaphase- anaphase transition, centromeres divide and the two chromatids of a chromosome become independent chromosomes. During anaphase, the two are pulled to opposite poles of the spindle by spindle microtubules. (4)
Angiosperm - Informal term for flowering plants, members of division Magnoliophyta; their seeds develop within a fruit. Also called anthophytes. (4)
Annual - Plant that completes its life cycle in a year. (1) A plant that completes its life cycle in 1 year or less. Compare: biennial and perennial. (4)
Annual ring - In secondary xylem, the set of wood, usually early wood and late wood, produced in 1 year. (4)
Antioxidant - A chemical that neutralizes certain types of destructive oxygen compounds within an organism’s body. (4)
Aril - Secondary covering over the seed in certain plants. (1) A thick fleshy envelope around some seeds. (4)
Aromatic - Plant with high levels of volatile oil. (1)
Artificial selection - The process in which humans purposefully alter the gene pool of a species by selective breeding. (4)
Autotroph - An organism that synthesizes its own organic compounds, using only carbon dioxide and mineral nutrients. Compare: heterotroph. (4)
Axil - Upper angle formed by leaf stem and supporting stem or branch. (1)
Axillary bud - A bud located in a leaf axil, just above the attachment point of a leaf. May be either a leaf bud or a floral bud. Alternative: terminal bud. (4)
Bacteriophage - A virus that attacks bacteria. (4)
Basal leaves - Leaves growing from the base of the stem. (1)
Biennial - Plant that completes its life cycle in 2 years, generally flowering in the second year. (1) A plant that requires 2 years to complete its life cycle, with cold winter temperature in the first year being necessary for reproduction. (4)
Binomial classification - A system of providing scientific names to organisms, each name consisting of the genus name and the species epithet. (4)
Biome - An extensive grouping of ecosystems, characterized by the distinctive aspects of dominant plants. (4)
Biosphere - All portions of the Earth’s surface—including land, water and air—occupied by living organisms. The organisms themselves are a component of the biosphere. (4)
Biparental inheritance - Inheritance of genes from two parents, the most common case for nuclear genes. Alternative: uni parental inheritance. (4)
Bloom (algal) - A sudden increase in the numbers of algae when environmental conditions become particularly favorable for growth. (4)
Bract - A small, often thickened and protective leaflike structure; bracts usually protect developing inflorescences. (4)
Bran - In cereal grains such as wheat and rice, bran consists of all parts of the fruit or seed that are not embryo (the embryo is referred to a the germ of the seed). (4)
Broadleaf plant - Informal term for any member of the flowering plant class Magnoliopsida: a dicot. Alternative: monocot. (4)
Bulb - A short, subterranean, vertical stem that has fleshy, scalelike leaves. Example: onion. (4)
Calyx (pl.: calyces) - A collective term for all the sepals of one flower. (4)
Capsule - Dry fruit that splits open when ripe to scatter seeds. (1)
Carbohydrates - Organic compounds composed of carbon backbones with hydrogens and oxygens attached in a ratio of about 2:1; sugars, starch, and cellulose are examples. (4)
Carbon fixation - Photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide into an organic molecule, with carbon being reduced in the process. (4)
Carpel - Organ of a flower that contains ovules and is involved in the production of megaspores, seeds, and fruits. See gynoecium. (4)
Catabolism - Metabolism in which large molecules are broken down into smaller ones. Alternative: anabolism. (4)
Cation - A positively charged ion. (4)
Cellulose - A polysaccharide composed only of glucose residues linked by beta-1, 4-glycosidic bonds; it is the major strengthening component of plant cell walls. (4)
Centromere - Region of a chromosome that holds the two chromatids together prior to anaphase of mitosis or anaphase II of meiosis. Spindle microtubules attach to centromeres and move the chromosomes during division. (4)
Cereal grain - The edible fruit (but often called a seed) of any of several true grasses cultivated for use as food for either people or animals. (4)
Chlorophyll - Pigment involved in capturing the light energy that drives photosynthesis; found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. See bacteriochlorophyll. (4)
Chromatid - A portion of a chromosome consisting of one DNA double helix and its histones. Before S phase, each chromosome consists of just one chromatid, but after DNA replication in S phase, each chromosome consists of two chromatids. (4)
Chromosome - Each nuclear DNA double helix is complexed with histone into a chromosome, which consists structurally of one (pre-S phase) or two (post-S phase) chromatids plus a centromere (4). The circles of DNA found in prokaryotes, plastids, and mitochondria are occasionally called chromosomes. (4)
Circadian rhythm - An endogenous rhythm whose period is approximately 24 hours long. (4)
Climacteric fruits - Fruits that undergo a sudden burst of metabolism and ripening (the climacteric) as the last step of maturation. Alternative: nonclimacteric fruits. (4)
Coevolution - A type of evolution in which two species become increasingly adapted to each other, resulting in a highly specific interaction. (4)
Composite flowers - Flowers made up of usually 2 types of tiny florets, disc and ray; some have disc florets only. (1)
Compound - Leaves or flowers made up of many individual small flowers or leaflets. (1)
Cordate - Having heart-shaped leaves. (1)
Corm - Bulblike, underground storage organ formed by a swollen stem base. (1)
Corolla - Collective term for the petals of a flower. (1)
Cross-fertilization - The fertilization of a gamete by a genetically distinct gamete derived from a different parent: Alternative: self-fertilization; see cross-pollination. (4)
Cuticle - A layer of cutin on epidermal cells; the cuticle reduces water loss but also unavoidably restricts the entry of carbon dioxide. (4)
Cytokinesis - Division of the protoplasm of a cell, as opposed to nuclear division, karyokinesis. (4)
Cytoplasm - Protoplasm consists of nucleus, vacuoles, and cytoplasm. (4)
Deciduous - Plant that sheds leaves each year. (1)
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) - The information molecule in nuclei, plastids, mitochondria, and prokaryotes. (4)
Deoxyribose - A five-carbon sugar occurring in DNA. (4)
Diffusion - The random motion of particles from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. (4)
Dioecious - Species with male and female parts on separate plants. (1)
Distal - Refers to the position of a structure distant from a point of reference; relative to a stem, a leaf blade is distal to the petiole. Alternative: proximal. (4)
Diurnal - Daytime; a diurnal plant opens its flowers at sunrise. Alternative: nocturnal. (4)
Domain - All living organisms are now classified as belonging to one of three large clades called domains. Two domains (Bacteria and Archaea) contain prokaryotes; the third domain (Eukarya) contains eukaryotes. (4)
Dominant trait - A trait whose phenotype completely masks that of the alternative (recessive) allele in the heterozygous condition. (4)
Ecosystem - The set of physical nonliving environmental factors of a region, plus the communities of organisms of that region. (4)
Edaphic - Refers to the soil: Soil factors are edaphic factors. (4)
Ethnobotany - The study of the relationships between plants and people; very often emphasis is placed on the ways that people use certain plants. (4)
Evolution - The change of nucleotide sequences in a species’ DNA through natural selection, genetic drift, or accident. (4)
Fern - A member of the monilophyte clade; ferns have vascular tissues, megaphyllous leaves (euphylls, evolved from branches) but do not produce seeds; living ferns never produce wood. (4)
Fertilization - Fusion of two gametes (or their equivalents in some fungi and algae). Synonym: syngamy. (4)
Fiber - A sclerenchyma cell that is long and tapered and has pointed ends; provides a tissue with strength and flexibility. Compare: sclereid. (4)
Food chain - A set of organisms in which some are primary producers, others are primary consumers (which consume the primary producers) and still others are secondary consumers. (4)
Frond - Nontechnical term for the leaf of a fern. (4)
Fruit - In angiosperms, the structure that forms from carpels and associated tissues after fertilization. (4)
Gamete - A haploid sex cell, such as an egg or sperm. mega- gamete A large, immobile gamete; an egg. microgamete A small, often mobile gamete; a sperm. (4)
Gene - In DNA, a sequence of nucleotides which contains information necessary for the metabolism and structure of an organism. (4)
Genetically modified (GM) plant - A plant whose genotype and phenotype have been altered using recombinant DNA techniques. This term is not used for hybrids that have been produced in crosses using selective breeding. (4)
Germ (of a seed) - The embryo of a seed. Compare: bran. (4)
Glucose - One of the most abundant simple sugars, a sixcarbon mono saccharide. Component of starch, cellulose, and many metabolic pathways. (4)
Gluten - A protein found in the flour of wheat and several other cereals; it gives bread its elasticity and allows it to rise. 24 (4)
GMO (Genetically modified organism) - An organism whose DNA has been artificially modified by means of recombinant DNA technology. Organisms produced by cross-breeding and artificial selection are not considered to be GMOs. (4)
Gymnosperm - Common name for plants with naked seeds; all seed plants that are not angiosperms. Examples: conifers and cycads. 2, 22 (4)
Habitat - The set of conditions in which an organism completes its life cycle. (4)
Herb - A plant that consists only of primary tissues; lacking wood. (4)
Herbaceous - Plant that dies down at the end of the growing season. (1)
Hormone - A chemical that is produced by one part of a plant, often in response to a stimulus, and then is transported to other parts and induces responses in appropriate sites. (4)
Hydrolysis - The breaking of a chemical bond by adding water to it, a proton being added to one product and a hydroxyl to the other. (4)
Hydrophilic - “Water loving”—refers to compounds that are relatively soluble in water and other polar solvents and insoluble in lipids and other nonpolar solvents. Opposite: hydrophobic. (4)
Hydrophobic - “Water fearing”—refers to compounds that are relatively insoluble in water and other polar solvents and soluble in lipids and other nonpolar solvents. Opposite: hydrophilic. (4)
Infusion - A drink such as tea in which plant material is steeped in water, then the plant material is discarded and only the water extract is used. (4)
Insectivorous - Plant that traps and digests insects and other small animals. (1)
Invasive species - In community ecology, a species is invasive if it can increase from very low population density even if one or several competitors are present. (4)
Krebs cycle - Synonym for citric acid cycle and tricarboxylic acid cycle. (4)
Lanceolate – Lance-shaped (1)
Latex - Milky fluid found in various plants and trees. (1)
Legume - Any member of the family Fabaceae, such as peas, beans, and lentils. Legumes are typically an excellent source of protein. (4)
Lipids - A class of compounds that are hydrophobic and water insoluble. Examples: fats, oils, and waxes. (4)
Meiosis - Reduction division, a process in which nuclear chromosomes are duplicated once but divided twice, such that the resulting nuclei each have only one half as many chromosomes as the mother cell. (4)
Mesophyll - All tissues of a leaf except the epidermis. 6 (4)
Metaphase - The second phase of mitosis during which chromosomes move to the center of the spindle, the metaphase plate. (4)
Mitosis - (pl. mitoses) Duplication division—a type of nuclear division (karyokinesis) in which nuclear chromosomes are first duplicated, then divided in half, one daughter nucleus receiving one set, the other daughter nucleus receiving the other set. Alternative: meiosis. (4)
Mutagen - Any chemical or physical force that causes a change in the sequence of nucleotides in DNA. (4)
Mutation - Any change in the sequence of DNA. (4)
Natural selection - The preferential survival, in natural conditions, of those individuals whose alleles cause them to be more adapted than other individuals with different alleles. (4)
Niche - The set of conditions exploited best by one species. (4)
Node - Point on a stem where a leaf is attached. (4)
Nucleus - (pl.: nuclei) In eukaryotic cells, the organelle that contains DNA and is involved in inheritance, metabolism control, and ribosome synthesis. (4)
Organ - A structure composed of a variety of tissues; seed plants are considered to have only three organs: roots, stems, and leaves. (4)
Organelles - The “little organs” of a cell, such as nuclei, plastids, mitochondria, and ribosomes. Many are membrane-bounded compartments, others are nonmembrane structures composed of protein or protein and RNA. (4)
Osmosis - Diffusion through a membrane. (4)
Panicle - A branched cluster of flowers on stalks in a pyramid-shaped arrangement. (1)
Perennial - Plant that lives for at least 3 seasons. (1)
Petals - The appendages, usually colored, on a flower, most often involved in attracting pollinators. See also corolla. (4)
Photosynthesis - In plants, photosynthesis refers exclusively to the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrate by means of energy captured by several pigments (which always include chlorophylls a and b among others) accompanied by the release of oxygen. In other organisms such as algae, cyanobacteria, and photosynthetic bacteria, photosynthesis may involve other pigments and other products. (4)
Pinnate - A compound leaf with leaflets growing in 2 rows on each side of its mid-rib. (1)
Plant - Technically a plant is any individual organism that is a member of the clade that evolved from green algae and that have an alternation of heteromorphic generations. (4)
Pollen - In seed plants, the microspores and microgametophytes. (4)
Prophase - The initial phase of mitosis during which the nucleolus and nuclear membrane break down, chromosomes begin to condense, and the spindle begins to form. (4)
Proximal - Refers to the position of a structure near a point of reference; relative to a stem, a petiole is proximal to a leaf blade. Alternative: distal. (4)
Radicle - The main root of a seed; it is the direct continuation of the embryonic stem. (4)
Receptacle - The stem (axis) of a flower, to which all the other parts are attached. 8 In the brown alga Fucus, the ends of the branches where conceptacles are located. (4)
Recessive trait - A trait whose phenotype is completely masked by that of the alternative (dominant) allele in the heterozygous condition. 16 (4)
Retrovirus - A virus whose genetic material is single-stranded RNA; the most common type of plant virus. (4)
Rhizome - Underground storage stem. (1)
Ribose - A five-carbon sugar occurring in ribonucleic acid, among other things. (4)
Ribosome - An organelle responsible for protein synthesis; ribosomes consist of a large subunit and a small subunit, both made of proteins and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). (4)
Scientific method - A means of analyzing the physical universe. Observations are used as the basis for constructing a hypothesis that predicts the outcome of future observations or experiments. Anything that can never be verified cannot be accepted as part of a scientific hypothesis. (4)
Scientific name - The binomial name of a species, consisting of the genus name and the species epithet. (4)
Sepal - In flowers, the outermost of the fundamental appendages, most often providing protection of the flower during its development. See calyx. (4)
Sexual reproduction - Reproduction in which genomes of two individuals are brought together in one nucleus followed by meiosis with crossing-over. (4)
Simple leaf - A leaf in which the blade consists of just one part. Alternative: compound leaf. (4)
Species - A set of individuals that are closely related by descent from a common ancester and can reproduce with each other but not with members of any other species. (4)
Spore - A single cell that is a means of asexual reproduction; it can grow into a new organism but cannot fuse like a gamete. (4)
Stamen - Male fertilizing organ of a flowering plant. (1) The organs of a flower involved in producing microspores (pollen). See also androecium, anther, and filament. (4)
Stigma - Female organ of a flower. (1)
Succulent - Plant with thick, fleshy leaves and/or stems. (1)
Telophase - The fourth and last phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes decondense, the nucleolus and nuclear envelope reform, the spindle depolymerizes, and the phragmoplast appears. (4)
Temperate virus - A virus whose genome has been incorporated into the host’s genome, being replicated simultaneously with host DNA; the virus produces few or no symptoms. (4)
Theory - After a hypothesis has been confirmed by numerous observations or experiments, it is considered to be a theory. (4)
Trichome - A plant hair; often restricted to structures that contain only cells derived from the epidermis. (4)
Trifoliate - Plant with 3 leaves or leaflets. (1)
Tuber - Thickened part of underground stem. (1) A short, fleshy, horizontal stem, involved in storing nutrients but not in migrating laterally. Example: potato. (4)
Umbel - Umbrella-like arrangement of flowers with all flower stems arising from the same point. (1)
Vascular plant - A plant that has vascular tissues, such as flowering plants, conifers, ferns, and others. Synonym: tracheophyte. Compare: non-vascular plants and bryophytes. (4)
Whorl - Ring of leaves or flowers radiating out horizontally from a central point. (1)
Wildcrafting - Harvesting herbs from the wild. (1)
Woody plant - A plant that undergoes secondary growth by means of a vascular cambium which produces secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem. Alternative: herbaceous plant. (4)
Zygote - The diploid cell formed as the result of the fusion of two gametes. (4)

(1) - Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. New York: DK Publishing, 2016.
(4) – Mauseth, James. Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology, 6th Edition. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning, LLC. 2017.

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Glossary - Botanical