achene [a KEEN]—dry, single-seeded fruit.
aggregate—compound fruit developing from separate pistils of the same flower.
alternate—leaf and bud arranged singly at each node.
angiosperms—plant whose seeds are protected by an enclosed ovary (fruit).
arcuate [AR kyew it]—type of leaf venation in which a central midrib extends the length of the leaf, with secondary veins branching off and bending along the margin of the leaf.
aromatic—having a distinct odor.
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berry—fleshy fruit that contains small seeds.
blade—expanded portion of the leaf.
bundle scar—tiny dots within a leaf scar.
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catkin—cluster of tiny fruits or flowers; often long and drooping.
chambered pith—pith divided by crosswise membranes; resembles a ladder when cut crosswise.
compound leaves—leaves made up of several individual leaflets.
corymb [KORY um]—flat-topped flower cluster.
cultivar—subgrouping of species.
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deciduous—plants that shed their leaves seasonally.
deltoid—triangular.
dendrology [den DRAW le jee]—the study of trees.
dentate—toothed.
dioecious [die E shis]—plant having distinct male and female reproductive structures on separate individuals.
drupe [DROOP]—fruit with an outer juicy layer surrounding a hard pit (e.g., peach).
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entire—continuous margin without teeth or other irregularities.
evergreen—plants that retain their leaves year-round.
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family—all genera that share common characteristics.
fascicle [FA s’kl]—cluster or bundle.
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genus—group of closely related species.
gymnosperms—plants whose seeds are not enclosed within an ovary. “Naked seed.”
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habit—general appearance of a plant, as seen from a distance.
habitat—place where a plant normally grows or an animal normally lives.
hardwood—trees whose wood is dense and therefore relatively hard.
hybrid—plant or animal formed when two species cross-pollinate.
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inflorescence—entire flower cluster; the way flowering parts are organized.
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lanceolate [LAN se late]—lance-shaped.
leaf scar—scar left on a twig when a leaf is lost.
leaflet—leaflike subdivision of a compound leaf.
leafstalk—stalk supporting the leaf.
legume [le GOOM]—podlike fruit of the pea family.
lenticel [LEN te s’l]—corky spot on bark that serves as a breathing pore.
lobed—divided into sections.
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margin—edge of leaf.
mesophyte [MEH zi fite]—plants growing where soil moisture conditions are average, not excessively dry or wet.
monoecious [mo NEE shis]—bearing male and female flowers on the same plant.
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node—point of attachment for leaf on twig.
nut—one-seeded fruit usually encased in a woody or leathery husk.
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oblong—longer than broad.
obovate [ob O vate]—inverted ovate, with broader end at the tip.
opposite—when a pair of leaves or twigs emerges from a single point of attachment.
oval—broadly elliptical.
ovate [O vate]—egg shaped.
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palmate—three or more veins or leaves branching from a central point.
panicle [PA ni k’l]—long flower with central stem and many branches (e.g., grape cluster).
pinnate [pin NATE]—leaf with central midrib, which extends the length of the leaf, and secondary veins branching off.
pith—center portion of the twig.
pome [POME]—fleshy fruit with firm tissue surrounding the seeds (e.g., apple).
pubescent—hairy.
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raceme [ray SEEM]—long flower with central stem in which several individual flowers bloom along the stem (e.g., wild cherry).
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samara [SA mare ah]—dry, one-seeded fruit with an attached wing.
serrate—leaf margin with sharp teeth that incline toward the tip.
simple—leaf with one continuous blade.
softwood—trees whose wood is relatively soft.
species—all individual organisms with similar characterstics that breed among themselves and vary only slightly from one another.
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toothed—leaf margin with many small sharp indentations.
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undulate—wavy-edged leaf margin.
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variety—subgrouping of species, which occurs within a certain geographic range and differs slightly from the remainder of the species.
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whorled—when three or more leaves or branches emerge from a single node and are arranged in circles.
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xerophyte [ZIR eh fite]—plants growing where soil moisture conditions are very dry most of the time.
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