Arboretum Botanical Glossary

Pachymorph Clumping - as in clumping bamboos. This term helps record, compare, or interpret plant and site information.

Palea A chaffy scale or bract; the uppermost of the two bracts (lemma and palea), which subtend a grass floret.

Pallid Pale, light in color. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Palmate Having leaflets or other parts radiating from a common point, like outstretched fingers from a palm. Did you know? Maple leaves are palmate, with lobes spreading from one point like fingers from a hand.

Panicle A drooping flower cluster. This feature helps explain how flowers are arranged, how pollination happens, or how seeds begin to form.

Papillate Having short rounded bumps, called papillae (singular: papilla). This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Lotus leaves have microscopic surface bumps that help water bead and roll away, inspiring self-cleaning materials.

Pappus A structure consisting of feather-like bristles or hairs attached to seeds (most often of the Aster family - Asteracea or Compositae) to help them disperse by means of wind. Did you know? The fluffy pappus on a dandelion cypsela acts like a parachute and can carry the fruit long distances on wind.

Parisitic Obtaining at least part of its nourishment or water from a host organism. This often occurs among fungi - Example: Armillaria mellea (also called the honey mushroom or oak root rot fungus).

Parthenocarpic Producing fruits without fertilization. This feature is connected to how seeds are protected, nourished, or moved away from the parent plant. Did you know? Seedless bananas and many seedless grapes are parthenocarpic fruits that develop without fertile seeds.

Pedicel The stalk of a flower. This feature helps explain how flowers are arranged, how pollination happens, or how seeds begin to form.