Arboretum Botanical Glossary

Barbellulate With very tiny short stiff hairs or barbs. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Basal At the base of. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Basidiomycete A type of fungus that forms its sexual spores externally on a special cell called a basidium. In most basidiomycetes four basidiospores form on each basidium. Because the basidium is often club-shaped, the basidiomycetes are sometimes referred to as club fungi. The basidiomycetes comprise the second largest group of fungi, including mushrooms, boletes, bracket fungi, rusts and smuts. Did you know? Most familiar mushrooms…

Beak A narrow or elongated tip. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Bearded Bearing one or more tufts of long hairs. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? The fuzzy “beard” on a bearded iris helps guide pollinators toward the flower center.

Berry A fleshy pulpy multi-seeded fruit. This feature is connected to how seeds are protected, nourished, or moved away from the parent plant. Did you know? Botanically, bananas, tomatoes, and grapes are true berries, while strawberries are not.

Bifid Shaped like a two-pointed fork. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Bloom A fine powdery coating. (Also can simply mean a flower.) Did you know? The pale coating on grapes, blueberries, and plums is a natural waxy bloom, not dust or pesticide residue.

Boss A raised usually pointed projection. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.

Bract A modified leaf, which is part of a flower cluster, or which surrounds a flower. Did you know? The bright red “petals” of a poinsettia are actually bracts. The true flowers are the tiny yellow structures in the center.