A botanical reference guide of morphological terms, plant structures, propagation techniques, and campus flora definitions.
Explore terms organized by botanical structure, morphology, and arboricultural concepts.
Tomentose A dense wooly covering. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Topiary A technique of pruning shrubs and trees into formal geometric or sculptural shapes Did you know? Topiary depends on repeated pruning to maintain a plant in a geometric or sculptural shape.
Trifoliate Having compound leaves composed of 3 leaflets. Botanists use this feature to describe leaf shape, surface, edge, or arrangement, which helps with plant identification.
Truncate Having an end cut straight across (squared off). This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Tuberous Producing tubers or resembling a tuber. This feature helps describe plant support, storage, water movement, or vegetative spread.
Turbinate Shaped like a top. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Some fruits and cones are turbinate, shaped like a spinning top.
The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations