Synonyms:
Oppositelies, Oppositely, Opposites
Opposite Having leaves in pairs, each pair emerging from a single node
Arboretum Botanical Glossary
A botanical reference guide of morphological terms, plant structures, propagation techniques, and campus flora definitions.
368 Botanical Definitions
10 Categories
A–Z Alphabetical Index
Illustrated Growth Forms
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Explore terms organized by botanical structure, morphology, and arboricultural concepts.
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Showing 368 definitions
Synonyms:
Orbiculars, Orbiculate, Orbiculates, Suborbicular, Suborbiculars
Orbicular Approximately circular in outline. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Synonyms:
Oblate, Oblates, Obovate, Obovates, Ovates, Ovoid, Ovoids
Ovate Having an oval or egg-shaped outline, wider at the point of attachment
Synonyms:
Pachymorphs
Pachymorph Clumping - as in clumping bamboos. This term helps record, compare, or interpret plant and site information.
Synonyms:
Paleae, paleae, Paleaes, Paleas
Palea A chaffy scale or bract; the uppermost of the two bracts (lemma and palea), which subtend a grass floret.
Synonyms:
light colored, pale, Pallids
Pallid Pale, light in color. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Synonyms:
Palmatelies, Palmately, Palmates
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.
Synonyms:
Panicles, Paniculate, Paniculates, Paniculiform, Paniculiforms
Panicle A drooping flower cluster. This feature helps explain how flowers are arranged, how pollination happens, or how seeds begin to form.
Synonyms:
Papilla, papilla, Papillae, Papillaes, papillate.jpg, Papillates, Papilliferous, Papilliferouses
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.
Synonyms:
Pappi, pappi, Pappis, Pappuses
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.
