Arboretum Botanical Glossary

Ellipsoid A solid body elliptic in shape lengthwise and nearly circular in cross section

Elliptic Elliptical (oval) in shape. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Elongate Stretched out. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Emarginate With a shallow notch at the tip. Botanists use this feature to describe leaf shape, surface, edge, or arrangement, which helps with plant identification.

Embryo The undeveloped plant inside a seed. This feature is connected to how seeds are protected, nourished, or moved away from the parent plant.

Endemic Native only to a particular region. This term helps explain how a plant grows, survives, spreads, or fits into its habitat. Did you know? Endemic plants are conservation priorities because they naturally occur in only one region of the world.

Endosperm The starch and oil containing part of many seeds. This feature is connected to how seeds are protected, nourished, or moved away from the parent plant. Did you know? Cornstarch comes from corn endosperm, the food-storage tissue meant to feed the young seedling.

Entire With a smooth even unbroken margin, usually referring to the edge of a leaf

Epidermis The outermost cell layer (skin) of a non-woody plant structure Did you know? The waxy cuticle on the epidermis helps water bead and roll off leaf surfaces.

Epiphyte A plant growing on another plant, but not taking nourishment from it. Did you know? Many tropical orchids are epiphytes that grow attached to tree branches without taking food from the tree.