Purdue Arboretum botanical terminology reference and learning database.
Hybrid A plant resulting by combining the characteristics of one type of plant with another through cross-pollination. This can occur naturally or deliberately through human action. Did you know? Grapefruit is a natural hybrid between pomelo and sweet orange.
Imbricate Overlapping like roof shingles. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Pine cone scales overlap imbricately like shingles, protecting seeds until the cone opens.
Impressed Located below the surface. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Incised Cut by sharp and irregular incisions around the edge. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Indurate Hardened. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Inferior Beneath, below. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Apples develop from flowers with inferior ovaries; the fleshy apple includes tissue around the ovary as well as the ovary itself.
Introrse Turned inward or opening inward. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Keel A ridge, like the ridge along the bottom of a boat. Did you know? In pea flowers, the keel petals enclose the stamens and pistil until a bee lands and triggers pollen release.
Lacerate Cut or cleft irregularly, as if torn. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Lanceolate Lance-shaped (a long narrow point). This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations