Glossary: General botanical term

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

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.

Evanescent Rapidly disappearing. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Exfoliate To shed or peel off. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? River birch and paperbark maple are prized for exfoliating bark that peels in colorful sheets.

Exserted Projecting beyond the surrounding parts. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Exserted stamens place pollen where it can easily brush onto insects or birds visiting the flower.

Falcate Sickle shaped, curved. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Farinaceous Mealy in texture; starchy. Having an odor variously described as that of raw potatoes, raw cucumbers, or even of soaps

Fascicle A tight bundle. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Counting needles per fascicle helps identify pines: eastern white pine has five; red pine has two.

Fibril A delicate fiber or hair. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Filiferous Covered with threads. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.