Florida Plant ID
Glossary of Botanical Terms: E-N
E
Elliptic Leaf Shape: Broadest at the middle, the ends nearly equal. See Figure 9.
Entire Leaf Margin: Uncut, without indentations. See Figure 10.
Evergreen: Bearing leaves throughout the year.
Exfoliating: Peeling off in thin layers.
F
Floret: A small flower, or an individual flower in a cluster.
Funnelform Corolla Type: Tube gradually expanding upward as a funnel, the limb may be flaring or somewhat at right angles to the flower axis. See Figure 11.
G
Glabrous: Smooth, no hairs present.
Globose or Globular: Rounded or like a sphere.
Gymnosperm: Cone bearing plants considered more primitive than flowering plants. (Ex: Pine trees)
H
Herbaceous: A plant with no persistent woody stem above ground.
Husk: The hard or tough layer that covers some fruits and seeds.
I
Indehiscent: A fruit that does not open spontaneously to release seeds.
Inflorescence: The flowering part of a plant.
Internode: The part of the stem that is between two nodes.
K
Kernel: The inner and usually edible part of a seed, grain or nut.
L
Lanceolate: Shaped as the head of a lance, broadened at the base and tapering toward the apex. See Figure 12.
Leaf axil: The angle between the stem and the upper surface of an attached leaf.
Leaflet: One of the divisions of a compound leaf.
Lenticels: A group of raised, corky cells which form beneath the epidermis of a woody plant.
Linear: Long and narrow, the sides parallel or nearly so. See Figure 13.
Lobed Leaf Margin: Divided into lobes separated by narrow or acute indentations which extend from one-third to one-half of the distance between margin and midrib. See Figure 14 .
M
Margin: The outer edge of a leaf.
Midrib: The main or central vein of a leaf.
Monoecious: Male and female flowers are borne on the same plant.
N
Node: The place on the stem which normally bears a leaf.