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.
Receptacle The part of a flower that holds all the floral structures together. It is located at the top of the flower stalk, where the petals, sepals, stamens, and carpels are attached. Did You Know? In some plants, the receptacle becomes part of the fruit. For example, the fleshy edible portion of a strawberry develops primarily from the enlarged receptacle, while the tiny "seeds" on…
Reniform Kidney shaped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Resin A sticky substance secreted by a plant. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Resupinate Upside down, due to twisting of the pedicel, as in the flowers of some orchids
Reticulate Having a netted or crosshatched pattern. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Rhizomatous Having rhizomes or rhizome-like structures. This feature helps describe plant support, storage, water movement, or vegetative spread.
Rhizome An underground stem. This feature helps describe plant support, storage, water movement, or vegetative spread. Did you know? Ginger is a rhizome — a modified underground stem, not a root.
Rhombic Diamond-shaped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Rosette A circular arrangement of leaves radiating from a central point
See Rubescent
The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations