Introduction
Keys
Search by characteristics
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List all species:
by common name
by scientific name
by family
Glossary
|
Glossary
| 2-ranked: |
diverging from stem at 2 angles as seen
from end of stem
|
| acute: |
sharp pointed but not long tapering
|
| adventitious roots: |
roots that grow out of stems
|
| alternate: |
a type of leaf arrangement in which one
leaf is attached to each node
|
| appressed: |
held up against; frequently describes bud
in relation to stem
|
| axillary: |
located in the angle between a stem and a
petiole, i.e. in the leaf axil
|
| berry: |
fleshy fruit with relatively thin skin
and containing several seeds, usually round or nearly so
|
| branchlet: |
small stem tightly surrounded by
scale-like leaves of certain gymnosperms such as juniper
|
| bristle: |
sharp, short, basally unthickened
projection from leaf margin
|
| bud scale: |
leaf modified as small, thickened,
exterior, protective layer surrounding thinner interior
leaves/flowers of bud; Can not see distinct veins in bud
scales.
|
| bundle
scar: |
scar located within the perimeter of a leaf
scar, made when bundles of vascular tissue break away from
stem as deciduous leaf falls
|
| chambered
pith: |
pith in which a series of longitudinally
arranged air chambers are separated by septa throughout
length of stem
|
| collateral: |
“side-by-side” arrangement of several
axillary buds at individual node
|
| compound: |
composed of several parts; a compound leaf
is composed of several leaflets
|
| connate: |
similar structures joined as one body; 2
opposite leaves with bases fused around the stem
|
| cordate: |
with a sinus and rounded at the base; like
the notched/rounded part of a valentine; used to describe
type of leaf base or shape of leaf with notched/rounded
base
|
| CP: |
coastal plain physiographic province of
NC, includes the sandhills which is frequently
recognized as a separate province, see diagram in
Radford et. al. for borders between provinces
|
| cuneate: |
tapered basally; usually refers to basal
part of leaf blade
|
| dentate: |
with sharp teeth perpendicular to the leaf
margin
|
| diaphramed
pith: |
pith in which solid tissues of two
distinguishable appearances alternate throughout the stem
length
|
| distal: |
located away from the stem
|
| drupe: |
a type of fleshy fruit which contains a
pit that surrounds a single seed
|
| elliptic: |
shape, widest at or near the middle and
tapered or rounded toward both ends
|
| entire: |
lacking teeth or lobes
|
| epicormic: |
coming off trunk of tree, usually
describes unusual branches of species including pond
pine
|
| glaucous: |
whitened with waxy coating
|
| imbricate: |
overlapping; i.e. imbricate buds are
covered by overlapping scales
|
| internode: |
part of a stem between two adjacent nodes
|
| lanceolate: |
lance-shaped; widest at or near the base
and tapered to apex; length/width ratio greater than that
for ovate
|
| lateral bud: |
synonym for axillary bud
|
| lateral
veins: |
veins smaller than and coming off the
midrib of a blade or lobe; synonymous with second order
vein
|
| leaf
scar: |
mark on stem left by a deciduous leaf after
it falls
|
| leaflets: |
blade segments of a compound leaf
|
| lobed: |
leaf that has major marginal segments that
are larger than teeth; the distinction between shallow
lobing and coarse toothing is somewhat subjective
|
| malodorous: |
smells bad; such as your unwashed feet
after a BO 405 fieldtrip
|
| midrib/midvein: |
centrally located vein of blade or lobe;
usually larger than lateral veins
|
| mineral soil: |
soils containing relatively low %
undecomposed plant/animal/microbe tissue; can be hydric
or non-hydric; common in all physiographic provinces of
NC
|
| mottled: |
irregularly colored
|
| naked: |
uncovered; often refers to buds which
lack thickened, outer bud scales; Can see veins of
leaves of naked bud
|
| node: |
point on a stem where one or more leaves
are attached
|
| oblanceolate: |
inverted lance-shape, widest above the
middle but not as wide in the apical part as in obovate
|
| oblong: |
widest in the middle part and with parallel
margins throughout a portion of the length
|
| obovate: |
inverted egg-shape, widest above the middle
& wider in apical part than in oblanceolate
|
| opposite: |
leaf arrangement in which 2 leaves are
attached to each node; i.e. leaves are paired along length
of stem
|
| organic soils: |
histosols, soils containing relatively
high % of incompletely decomposed plant/animal/microbe
tissue: examples include peat and muck; indicator of
hydric soil conditions; most common in CP
|
| ovate: |
egg-shaped; widest below the middle,
length/width ratio less than that for lanceolate
|
| ovoid: |
three-dimensional oval shape
|
| P: |
piedmond physiographic province of NC,
see diagram in Radford et. al. for borders between
provinces
|
| palmate: |
with parts basally attached to a common
point, digitate; palmate veins & palmately cmpd.
leaves
|
| pedicel: |
stalk of a flower or fruit
|
| perfoliate: |
a sessile leaf that has a base which
completely surrounds the stem
|
| pinnate: |
parts attached along an elongated axis;
feather-like; pinnate veins & pinnately cmpd. leaves
|
| pith: |
central tissue of a stem
|
| prickle: |
sharp, short, rigid projections from
internode regions of stem; usually basally thickened,
not as flexible as bristle
|
| pubescent: |
covered with hairs
|
| raceme: |
type of flower/fruit arrangement;
individual flrs./frts. each attached by pedicel to an
elongated central axis
|
| rachis: |
central axis of leafy part of pinnately
compound leaf
|
| rhombic: |
a shape; usually refers to leaves; widest
at midpoint with straight margins; elliptic but margins
straight and the middle angled
|
| sessile: |
lacking a stalk, directly attached
|
| shrub: |
type of woody plant which has several
main stems at or near ground level
|
| simple: |
type of leaf with 1 blade (instead of
several blade segments, leaflets, as in compound leaf
type)
|
| spine: |
leaf or stipule that is rigid and sharp
instead of foliaceous; Since it is a leaf or leaf part
(stipule), it is located below a lateral bud or branch
stem
|
| spur shoots: |
short, slowly-growing side branches
frequently with short internodes
|
| stalk: |
narrow, basal part
|
| star-shaped hairs: |
stellate hairs, hairs with several
branches palmately arranged
|
| stipular scar: |
mark left on stem after deciduous stipule
falls
|
| stipule: |
basal, paired appendages of a leaf;
variable in size & shape; Leaves of some species
have stipules while those of other species lack stipules
|
| sub-opposite: |
leaf arrangement in which leaves are almost
opposite, i.e. separated by very short internodes
|
| superposed: |
“one above the other”arrangement of two
axillary buds just above a node
|
| tendril: |
elongated, twining appendage
|
| terete: |
round in cross-section
|
| terminal bud: |
bud located at end of stem and not
associated with a branch
|
| third-order
veins: |
set of veins that branch off from those
veins that are directly attached to the largest veins of
the blade
|
| thorn: |
branch stem that is rigid and sharp;
Since it is a branch stem, it would be located above a
lea
|
| toothed: |
a general term indicating either dentate
or serrate
|
| tree: |
woody plant with one main stem (trunk) at
or near ground level
|
| trifoliolate: |
compound leaf composed of three leaflets
|
| undulate: |
type of leaf margin that is wavy in the
vertical plane
|
| valvate: |
type of bud that is covered by two paired
scales which meet at their margins
|
| whorled: |
arrangement of leaves/flowers/branches in
which more than 2 are attached around the perimeter of a
stem
|
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