Jon M. Stucky, Department of Botany

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

GLOSSARY 2-ranked: diverging from stem at 2 angles as seen from end of stem acuminate: long tapering to a point 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 bole: trunk of tree 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 crenate: with blunt-rounded teeth cuneate: tapered basally; usually refers to basal part of leaf blade deltoid: triangular 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 falcate: sickle-shaped foliaceous: leaf-like glabrous: lacking hairs glaucous: whitened with waxy coating homogenous pith: lacking air chambers and septa 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 oblique: asymmetrical 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 obtuse: rounded or blunt opposite: leaf arrangement in which 2 leaves are attached to each node; i.e. leaves are paired along length of stem orbicular: round 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 perimarginal: near to and parallel to leaf margin petiole: leaf stalk 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 scabrous: rough serrate: with sharp teeth 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