Glossary of botanical terms

This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general.

Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary of leaf morphology.

For other related terms, see Glossary of phytopathology, Glossary of lichen terms, and List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names.

cormose, cormouspl.

cortexes or corticesadj.

cymose Also abbreviated dicot.Also spelled disk.sing.

domatium Also aglandularAlso elliptic.

generaAlso globular.Also gramineous pl.

mycotrophic adj.

nectariferous Also spelled ochrea.Also imparipinnatepl.

opera utique oppressa pl.

phyllodineousAlso phytomelanin; adj.

rachises or rachides adj.

staminateAlso male flower.Also stipel; pl.

Often variety in common usage and abbreviated as var.Also nerve.Diminutive: virgulatepl.

refer to caption — In the bud, Tetradenia riparia leaves have their upper surfaces turned toward the stem and the axil . The lower surface is abaxial ("away from the axis"), and the upper surface is adaxial .

refer to caption — Viburnum abscission

refer to caption — Welwitschia mirabilis presents an example of an acaulescent growth habit unusual in so large a plant species.

refer to caption — Schematic diagrams of the accumbent arrangement of the cotyledon s and radicle in a seed of Erysimum (formerly Cheiranthus )

refer to caption — Achene s on the surface of the stem of the infructescence of a strawberry

refer to caption — Geranium incanum flowers are actinomorphic , having five axes of symmetry, as opposed to the two axes of symmetry of the zygomorphic flowers of most species of the related genus Pelargonium .

refer to caption — Fern frond with acuminate leaflets

refer to caption — Adelphous stamens in flower of Gossypium tomentosum

refer to caption — Watsonia flower slit open and with one stamen bent upward to show its adnate attachment to the petal

refer to caption — Diagram of a coconut fruit. The albumen (endosperm) is labelled Alb .

refer to caption — Caffeine is an alkaloid with four nitrogen atoms in its carbon skeleton.

refer to caption — Rothmannia leaf with extensively anastomose venation

refer to caption — Androgynous flower of Sandersonia aurantiaca cut open longitudinally to show the androecium , which comprises the anther s surrounding the green central pistil

refer to caption — Anther of Lilium in a state of anthesis , dehiscent and releasing pollen

refer to caption — A Neea species, family Nyctaginaceae , presents an example of an anthocarp : the calyx and style remain around the ripening fruit.

refer to caption — Aphananthous flowers of oaks such as Quercus robur , being anemophilous , have no need of being conspicuous to pollinating animals.

refer to caption — Apical bud of a Populus (poplar) shoot

refer to caption — The apparently separate nuts of Ochrosia borbonica actually are apocarpous carpel s, two from each flower.

refer to caption — Apophyses on the tips of the cone scales of Araucaria cunninghamii amount to spikes.

refer to caption — Hairs on the leaves of Meniocus linifolius (formerly Alyssum linifolium ) are stellate and appressed to the leaf surface.

refer to caption — Arachnoid leaves of an unidentified Gazania species

refer to caption — Spine s of cactus Gymnocalycium bayrianum emerging from the areole s of the stem node s

refer to caption — Seeds of a species of Blighia (ackee), one whole and one in longitudinal section, showing the pale aril

refer to caption — Infructescence of wild rye, showing prominent awn s

refer to caption — Anatomy of an awn and bristles on a species of the Australian grass Rytidosperma longifolium

refer to caption — Axillary buds in leaf

refer to caption — Baculiform desmid in genus Closterium

refer to caption — Barb s occur on the spines of some species of cactus, as shown here, enlarged.

refer to caption — Berries of Olinia ventosa , including a cross-section showing hard seeds in the pulp

refer to caption — The bifoliate compound leaves of the mopane tree, Colophospermum mopane , suggest the common name "butterfly tree".

refer to caption — Cross-section of a silique of Arabidopsis thaliana , showing it to be biloculate , formed of two carpel s, morphologically a silique and not a pod

refer to caption — Bipinnate leaf of Gymnocladus dioicus

refer to caption — Structure of a biternate compound leaf

refer to caption — This African baobab, Adansonia digitata , has an enormous bole beneath a relatively modest canopy that is typical of this species.

refer to caption — The large, colorful bract s of Bougainvillea are commonly mistaken for its petals.

refer to caption — Burr s , fruits of Arctium species

refer to caption — Buttress root of a mature elm

refer to caption — Dianthus chinensis has a caespitose growth habit.

refer to caption — Callus tissue of Nicotiana tabacum growing on a nutrient medium in plant tissue culture

refer to caption — Structure of flower of an orchid in genus Praecoxanthus , with the callus labelled

refer to caption — Bearded callus of a floret of the grass species Chrysopogon filipes

refer to caption — Scanning electron micrograph of the carpopodium at the base of the achene-like fruit of Zyzyura mayana , Asteraceae

refer to caption — Dormant leaf buds of deciduous trees are commonly protected by imbricate cataphyll s that are shed when the bud sprouts.

refer to caption — Male catkin s of Betula pendula

refer to caption — The caudex of Dioscorea elephantipes grows largely above the soil surface. Many species that form caudices grow them underground.

refer to caption — Flowers on the trunk of Epicharis parasitica , an example of cauliflory

refer to caption — Some members of the Espeletia genus exhibit a growth habit that is caulirosulate .

refer to caption — Moehringia growing as a chasmophyte on an overhanging cliff

refer to caption — Chloroplast s within the cells of the leaves of the moss Bryum capillare

refer to caption — Not all chloroplast s are simple in shape. Chloroplasts of Spirogyra are helical within the tubular cells of their algal filaments.

refer to caption — Circinate vernation of crosiers of the fern Sadleria cyatheoides

refer to caption — The so-called "fleshy leaves" of cacti, such as on this Opuntia tomentosa , are actually cladode s (branches). The true leaves are the spine s growing on the cladodes, which on this young cladode are still fleshy.

refer to caption — Colony of cells forming a coenobium , of an alga in the genus Pediastrum

refer to caption — Asclepias syriaca seeds, showing the coma of hairs in its pappus

refer to caption — Curcuma pseudomontana with red coma bracts

refer to caption — Pfaffia gnaphalioides flowers with basal coma hairs

refer to caption — Coma atop Muscari armeniacum , bearing sterile flowers

refer to caption — The conical compound inflorescence of Aeonium arboreum is a compound panicle composed of minor panicles, some of which are compound in their turn.

refer to caption — California buckeye ( Aesculus californica ) has a compound palmate leaf, the leaflets radiating from a central point.

refer to caption — The lobes of the gamopetalous corolla of Nicotiana flowers are conduplicate in the bud.

refer to caption — Casuarina equisetifolia male and female flowers and cone s

refer to caption — Gamopetalous Watsonia flower split open between two petals to show the connate formation of the corolla tube; compare the adnate attachment of the stamen bases to the matching petals

refer to caption — Corm s , one entire in its tunic , one partly peeled to show tunic cataphyll s, and one split to show inner structure

refer to caption — The corona of this Passiflora flower is a ring of purple filament s between the petal s and the stamen s.

refer to caption — Cotyledon s of seedlings of Koelreuteria . One plant shows the first new leaves above its cotyledons, and the rest show various younger stages of emerging cotyledons.

refer to caption — Crassula rupestris frequently grows as a cremnophyte on cliff faces in fynbos .

refer to caption — Nymphoides crenata has crenate leaf margins.

refer to caption — Mimetes cucullatus , so named for the hooded, cucullate shape of its white flowers

refer to caption — Murraya paniculata has leaves with cuneate (wedge-shaped) bases.

refer to caption — Examples of cupule s of Fagaceae :
A : Quercus rubra B: Quercus trojana
C: Fagus sylvatica D: Castanea sativa

refer to caption — Cuspidate leaves of Diplacus bigelovii var. cuspidatus

refer to caption — Euphorbia milii is commercially grown for the aesthetic appearance of its brightly colored, bract -like structures called cyathophyll s , which sit below the inflorescence .

refer to caption — Seasonal, healthy decortication of Eucalyptus grandis outer bark

refer to caption — A decorticating machine collecting fiber from leaves

refer to caption — Decussate phyllotaxis of Crassula rupestris

refer to caption — Dentate leaf of elm

refer to caption — Denticulate leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana

refer to caption — Astragalus austriacus is regarded as diadelphous because it has one stamen unattached to the main adelphia (bunch).

refer to caption — The paired cotyledon s of a castor bean seedling ( Ricinus communis ) are typical of a dicotyledon .

refer to caption — Discolorous leaves of Brachylaena discolor differ in color between their upper and lower surfaces.

refer to caption — Disk florets opening in a capitulum of a cultivated Helianthus . They open progressively from the edge to the center of the disk.

refer to caption — Dissepiment developing in tissue of carpels where they meet to form locules in the capsule of the ovary of Lilium

refer to caption — Boophone disticha has conspicuously distichous leaves.

refer to caption — Domatia at the bases of the thorns of Vachellia drepanolobium , the whistling thorn, with visible access holes

refer to caption — Dorsiventral (bilateral) leaves of Syzygium gerrardii and Triadica sebifera

refer to caption — Leaves of Epipremnum aureum (golden pothos) have a cuspidate drip tip .

refer to caption — Plants of the genus Corydalis bear seeds with attached elaiosomes , which have various functions, commonly attracting ants. On some Corydalis species, elaiosomes that attract ants also repel mice. ^{[

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refer to caption — Ficus lyrata is an example of a doubly- emarginate leaf with lateral and apical emargination ; it also might be seen as a basally emarginate .

refer to caption — Petals of Heracleum sphondylium are variously emarginate at their tips. Flowers in the middle of the inflorescence have slightly emarginate petals, whereas flowers at the periphery are so deeply emarginate as to be almost cleft in two.

refer to caption — The pale embryo emerging from the upper surface of the sprouting date seed is tiny in comparison to the endosperm , its main food supply, which comprises almost all of the rest of the seed.

refer to caption — Water lilies and reeds represent two ecological categories of emergent aquatic vegetation .

refer to caption — Iris pseudacorus has clearly ensiform leaves: narrow, straight-edged, sword-shaped.

refer to caption — The enlarged calyx and smaller epicalyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa

refer to caption — Shoot s from epicormic buds on Eucalyptus following a bushfire

refer to caption — Tillandsia recurvata growing as a harmless, non-parasitic epiphloedal epiphyte on a tree trunk that is also infested with an epiphloedal foliose lichen

refer to caption — Seeds or fruits are dispersed by epizoochory when they stick to the fur of animals.

refer to caption — The bases of equitant leaves enclose later leaves on the stem.

refer to caption — Sections of exalbuminous seeds

refer to caption — Aloe marlothii flowers with stamens and stigmata of mature flowers exserted from the mouths of the floral tubes

refer to caption — Astragalus falcatus has conspicuously falcate pods; not many falcate anatomical structures are so markedly curved.

refer to caption — Rhigozum obovatum bears its leaves in well-defined fascicle s .

Trunks and branches of some species of poplars contribute to the trees' fastigiate habit .

refer to caption — Favolaschia calocera , the orange pore fungus, has conspicuously faveolate fruiting bodies.

refer to caption — Emerging leaves of Oldenburgia grandis are heavily felted .

refer to caption — Fenestrate leaves of Darlingtonia californica

refer to caption — In the wild, the leaves of Fenestraria commonly are covered in soil, except for the transparent fenestration ; this permits photosynthesis while reducing damage from exposure to intrense sunlight and herbivores.

refer to caption — Digitalis ferruginea owes its specific name to its ferruginous (rust-colored) flowers.

refer to caption — Calochortus fimbriatus has fimbriate flowers.

refer to caption — Panaeolus cinctulus has gently flexuous stipes .

refer to caption — The pseudanthium of Zinnia elegans is typical of many Asteraceae in that it includes two types of floret s , ray florets and disk florets .

refer to caption — Medicago sativa ( alfalfa or lucerne) is an agriculturally important forb , grown in large volumes for forage, soil improvement, and other purposes.

refer to caption — Foveolate seeds of Physochlaina physaloides

refer to caption — Galbulus (berry-like, fleshy) cones on the coniferous tree Podocarpus elatus

refer to caption — Gametophores (red male antheridia and brown female archegonia) borne on a gametophyte of a Chara species of green algae

refer to caption — Longitudinal section of immature male pine cone, showing male gametophytes (pollen grains) developing between the cone scales

refer to caption — Glandular hairs on the stem of Geranium dissectum

refer to caption — The leaves, buds, and young stalks of Eucalyptus macrocarpa are glaucous , covered with a thick waxy pruinosity .

refer to caption — Glochids at the base of an Opuntia cactus spine

refer to caption — Glumes of a grass species with a fairly large inflorescence

refer to caption — Scanning electron micrograph of a stoma on the leaf of Haemanthus . The two lip-shaped cells on either side of the pore are the guard cells .

refer to caption — Drops of guttation fluid on the dentate points fringing the immature leaf of a grapevine

refer to caption — Examples of gymnosperms

LEFT
1- Welwitschia mirabilis
2- Cycas revoluta
3- Taxus baccata
4- Ginkgo biloba
RIGHT
1- Cupressus sempervirens
2- Sequoiadendron giganteum
3- Agathis dammara
4- Araucaria heterophylla

refer to caption — Epidermal hairs on plant leaves

refer to caption — Multicellular hairs on the edge of a sepal of Veronica sublobata

refer to caption — Haplostemonous arrangement of stamen s and petal s

refer to caption — Markedly hastate leaf of Salvia canariensis

refer to caption — The swollen haustorium of Viscum capense renders the end of the branch stunted compared to the lower part of the branch.

refer to caption — The fruit of Poncirus is a typical hesperidium .

refer to caption — Heteroblastic growth is common in Eucalyptus species with leaves that are isobilateral in the mature tree; they generally start life with dorsiventral leaves. Some of these saplings are in the transient stage in which they have both forms of leaves, dorsiventral on lower branches, and isobilateral above.

refer to caption — The hilum contrasts conspicuously with the rest of the testa in the seeds of many species. In the case of Erythrina species, the colors may be a warning that the seeds are poisonous.

refer to caption — A hypocarpium forms below the fruits of Sassafras albidum .

refer to caption — Flowers, fruit and propagule of a Rhizophora "mangle" or mangrove . The apparent root of the propagule is in fact meristematic tissue developing from the hypocotyl . The new plant develops largely from this tissue, especially if it has successfully penetrated into mud in which the new plant can establish itself.

refer to caption — Imbricate protective cataphylls on dormant buds of Quercus robur

refer to caption — Petals of Mespilus germanica are imbricate before the flower opens.

refer to caption — Doubly imparipinnate compound leaf of Melia azedarach

refer to caption — Deeply incised leaves of Pelargonium graveolens

refer to caption — Indefinite stamens of Hypericum

refer to caption — Indehiscent pods of Libidibia ferrea ; unlike most Fabaceae species, the plant depends on the pods being crushed by large ungulates to disperse the seeds.

refer to caption — Aloe brevifolia bears an indeterminate raceme .

refer to caption — The leaves of Syagrus palms are ' induplicately folded, in contrast to many other palm genera with reduplicate leaves.

refer to caption — Stamens of Calotropis gigantea are inserted at the base of the corolla.

refer to caption — The intramarginal veins near the margins of this leaf are outlined in white.

refer to caption — Two of these three green Asteraceae involucres encase unopened flower heads, and the third supports the open colorful head of emerging flowers. The imbricate phyllaries around the heads of this Malacothrix coulteri suggest the keeled scales of a snake, giving the plant its common name: "snake's head".

refer to caption — This Begonia leaf shows unusual iridescence for a plant.

refer to caption — Vachellia karroo bipinnate leaf

A. Rachilla
B. Pinnule
C. Jugary glands
D. Juga (plural of jugum )
E. Base of petiole
F. Petiolary gland
G. Rachis

refer to caption — Jugate leaf of Bauhinia glabra

refer to caption — Jugate fruit of Tabernaemontana elegans

refer to caption — Eucalyptus camaldulensis has dorsiventral juvenile leaves .

refer to caption — One form of the kettle trap s of a pitcher plant

refer to caption — Kidney-shaped leaf of Cucurbita maxima

refer to caption — Typical knee at a node in a grass stem

refer to caption — Unusually dense stand of cypress knees around the parent tree

refer to caption — Labiate flowers of Prunella vulgaris

refer to caption — Laciniate , deeply incised, leaves of Pelargonium crispum

refer to caption — Most Euphorbias are laticiferous and instantly exude latex when even mildly punctured.

refer to caption — A leaf scar on Juglans regia , showing the layer of corky protective tissue that remained after the leaf separated along the abscission zone . It also shows the leaf traces of the vascular bundles that broke off when the abscission zone failed. The axillary bud associated with the leaf shows just above the scar.

refer to caption — The dark horizontal lines on silver birch bark are lenticel s .

refer to caption — Lignotuber s of Lambertia formosa growing sprouts after a bush fire

refer to caption — Ligule between the leaf sheath and leaf of a grass

refer to caption — Loculicidal dehiscence of a fruit capsule . The locule walls split at the back, and the valves separate, bearing the septa on their centers.

refer to caption — The loment (or lomentum ) of Hedysarum occidentale splits into single-seeded segments along the visible lines of weakness when ripe.

refer to caption — Maculate leaves

refer to caption — Eucalyptus socialis , showing its mallee habit , a single tree with several trunks growing from an underground lignotuber

refer to caption — Mast from beeches on the forest floor

refer to caption — Geranium incanum schizocarp and mericarp

refer to caption — Apical meristem in root tip:
1: Meristem
2: Columella
showing statocytes with statoliths
3: Lateral part of the tip
4: Dead cells
5: Elongation zone

refer to caption — Mesophyll as seen in the cross section of a dicotyledonous leaf
A-Lower epidermis
B-Lower palisade mesophyll
C-Upper epidermis
D-Upper palisade mesophyll
E- Spongy mesophyll
F-Leaf vein

refer to caption — Longitudinal section of Pinus ovule
A= Gametophyte
B=Egg cell
C= Micropyle
D=Integument
E= Megasporangium

refer to caption — Strobilus of a Selaginella
A- Megaspore
B- Microsporangium
C- Megasporangium
D- Microspore
E- Sporophyll

refer to caption — Moniliform pods on Vachellia nilotica

refer to caption — A germinating date palm , Phoenix dactylifera , a monocotyledon , showing its single cotyledon

refer to caption — Mucro at the tip of the rachis of a compound leaf of Vachellia karroo

refer to caption — Fungal mycelium grown in culture dish

refer to caption — Mycelium of mycorrhiza growing on the roots of Picea

refer to caption — Hoya carnosa secretes so much nectar that it falls in drops if no pollinators remove it.

refer to caption — The small green petals of Helleborus argutifolius act as floral nectaries . The sepal s function as petal s.

refer to caption — Some Senna species have extrafloral nectaries that attract ants to defend them from pests.

refer to caption — Plant stem node s and internodes

refer to caption — Obconical syconium ( infructescence ) of Ficus carica

refer to caption — Obcordate leaflets of a ternate leaf of Oxalis pes-caprae

refer to caption — Obovate leaflets of a ternate leaf of Kummerowia

refer to caption — Obtuse leaves of Dovyalis zeyheri

refer to caption — Open flower of Eucalyptus macrocarpa , next to a shed operculum

refer to caption — Opposite arrangement ( phyllotaxis ) of leaves

refer to caption — Orbicular leaves of Dombeya rotundifolia

refer to caption — Ovate leaflets on a ternate leaf of a Vigna species

refer to caption — The thick trunk of Brachychiton rupestris accumulates moisture as a means of survival of droughts, and presents a marked example of a pachycaul habit .

refer to caption — This Curio articulatus is pachycladous in that it has a disproportionately thick stem.

refer to caption — A maple ( Acer platanoides ) leaf has palmate venation, as its veins radiate out from a central point, like fingers from the palm of a hand.

refer to caption — The inflorescence of Agave americana is a giant panicle .

refer to caption — Asclepias physocarpa shedding seeds, each with its silky pappus

refer to caption — Doubly paripinnate leaves of Delonix regia

refer to caption — Aloe ferox in flower, bearing two inflorescences on peduncles

refer to caption — Stephania japonica is a vine with peltate leaves.

refer to caption — Perfoliate leaves of Smyrnium perfoliatum with stems passing through them

refer to caption — The leaves of Aponogeton madagascariensis are perforate .

refer to caption — The perigonium of a moss (red in this case), also called a splash-cup , surrounds the antheridia and aids in dispersal of sperm.

refer to caption — Liquidambar styraciflua bud emerging from its protective brown imbricate cataphyll scales, also known as perule s

Pelargonium lobatum inflorescence , with showy petals projecting from inconspicuous protective sepal s

refer to caption — Petiolary glands on the petiole of a cherry leaf

refer to caption — Rock-splitting roots of the petricolous large-leaved rock fig, Ficus abutilifolia

refer to caption — The phaneranthous habit of the red flowering gum, Corymbia ficifolia , can attract pollinators such as the honey eater, Anthochaera chrysoptera , from a considerable distance.

refer to caption — Seedlings of Acacia fasciculifera bear leaves that illustrate the ancestral function of their phyllode s as petioles .

refer to caption — Pileus of the fruiting body of the fungus Pluteus admirabilis

refer to caption — Glandular pilose hairs on the stem of Aquilegia grata

refer to caption — Bipinnate leaf anatomy showing a pinna (or pinnule)

refer to caption — Simple pinnate leaf of Ekebergia capensis

refer to caption — Pistillate flower s of Shepherdia canadensis .
Compare staminate flower .

refer to caption — Electron micrographs of sections of wood of a conifer ( Picea abies ) show pit s in the tracheid walls.

refer to caption — Flowers in the inflorescence of Euphorbia platyphyllos open simultaneously, as a pleiochasium .

refer to caption — The corolla of Datura discolor is plicate .

refer to caption — Longitudinal section of maize kernel (scale=1.4 mm):
A= pericarp , B= aleurone , C= stalk , D= endosperm , E= coleorhiza , F= radicle , G= hypocotyl , H= plumule , I= scutellum , J= coleoptile

refer to caption — Pneumatophore s on a species of mangrove

Pollinium of an orchid, stuck to a syrphid fly that visited one flower, and may yet deposit its burden onto another flower of the same species.

refer to caption — The sharp projections on the trunk of the knobthorn, Senegalia nigrescens , are prickle s rather than thorns, botanically speaking.

refer to caption — Procumbent growth habit of Sagina procumbens , growing mainly along the soil surface, but without rooting

refer to caption — Carpobrotus and other prostrate plants growing on sand in Sicily, striking root and binding the soil as they grow

refer to caption — Floral stages of the protandrous species: Geranium incanum . The flower at first has intensely colored petals, and both androecium and gynoecium . After a day or so in bloom, it sheds the stamens and the color of the petals becomes somewhat paler.

refer to caption — Pubescent stem and inflorescence of Gomphrena celosioides

refer to caption — Punctate glands on Artemisia nova are visible because they are not covered with epidermal hairs .

refer to caption — Punctiform glands on the undersurface of a Plectranthus leaf

refer to caption — Pyramidal growth habit of Picea pungens

refer to caption — Pyriform syconium ("fruit") of domestic fig

refer to caption — Siliques of Conringia orientalis tend toward a quadrate cross section.

refer to caption — Bulbinella latifolia raceme s . The flowers are already open at the bottom; at the top, the axis is still growing and budding.

refer to caption — Rachis of Vachellia karroo bipinnate leaf, with components labelled as follows:
A. Rachilla (the diminutive of rachis )
B. Pinnule
C. Jugary glands
D. Juga (plural of jugum )
E. Base of petiole
F. Petiolary gland
G. Rachis

refer to caption — Radicle s emerging from germinating seeds

refer to caption — Reniform kidney bean seeds

refer to caption — A leaf of Ficus carica , illustrating reticulate venation

refer to caption — The central leaflets of the ternate leaves of Searsia glauca are oblate and commonly retuse .

refer to caption — Typical rhizome . This one is a specimen of Iris pseudacorus .

refer to caption — Grafting kiwifruit vine scion onto rootstock below

refer to caption — Unidentified Gasteria bearing leaves with a rugose surface, banded with callosities

refer to caption — The runcinate lobes of a Taraxacum officinale leaf point downward, i.e. toward the stem.

refer to caption — Sagittate leaves of an Alocasia plant

refer to caption — Salverform flowers of Plumbago auriculata

refer to caption — Trametes versicolor , the turkey tail fungus, is a saprotroph that consumes dead wood in forests. Its common name comes from the conspicuously patterned brackets, but the main body of the saprotroph consists of the largely invisible mycelium that penetrates the dead wood and digests it.

refer to caption — Strawberry plants reproduce mainly by sarment s , stolons such as these, often called runners ; at their nodes the sarments put up tufts of leaves and strike root if there is any good soil beneath.

refer to caption — Micrograph of the scabrid undersurface of the leaf of Stipa pulcherrima .

Amaryllis belladonna in flower, an example of a leafless scape emerging directly from the underground bulb before the seasonal leaves

refer to caption — Involucral bracts of Syncarpha species are as scarious as tissue paper, but look like live petals for years, so they are known as "Everlastings" and valued for dried arrangements.

refer to caption — Isolated sclereid or stone cell in plant tissue

refer to caption — Sclereids in gritty particles of pear tissue

refer to caption — Sepal s on Geranium thunbergii , five separated behind the petal s of an open flower, and a connected set enclosing an unopened bud

refer to caption — Sericeous leaves of Podalyria sericea , the silver sweet pea bush

refer to caption — The fruits of Lepidium bonariense are silicles , green and circular, with a notch at the apex.

refer to caption — Silky foliage of the silvertree, Leucadendron argenteum

refer to caption — Sori under the leaf of the fern Rumohra adiantiformis . Some are still covered by their indusia .

refer to caption — Spadix of Amorphophallus maximus within its spathe . The female flowers are around the bottom of the spadix, the male flowers above, and the sterile top part is the major source of pollinator attractants.

refer to caption — The convolute spathe around the spadix of Zantedeschia aethiopica

refer to caption — Drosera spatulata leaves are markedly spathulate .

refer to caption — The flowering spike of this Salvia nemorosa differs from a raceme in that the flowers are practically sessile .

refer to caption — Spine s emerging from the areoles of an Echinopsis species

refer to caption — Spinescent leaves of Salsola australis : stiff, narrowed, and with lobes ending in spiny points

refer to caption — Bird nest fungi, Nidulariaceae , bear examples of splash-cup s with spores that are spread by raindrops.

refer to caption — Sporangia of the fungus Rhizopus

refer to caption — Staminate flower s of Shepherdia canadensis

refer to caption — Manilkara hexandra flowers have both stamen s with anther s and staminode s that have no anthers.

refer to caption — Subulate leaves are narrow with an elongated, tapering tip, as seen on this species of Aloe .

refer to caption — The large, succulent , acaulescent , linear , cuspidate mottled leaves of a Gasteria species and the small, succulent, cordate leaves of a Crassula species contrast with the linear , herbaceous leaves of a Hypoxis species.

refer to caption — Sucker s around the trunk of Dypsis lutescens

refer to caption — Sulcate (specifically polysulcate) grooves along the stem of Scorzonera cana

refer to caption — Superior ovary ovary in an Aloe species. One flower is sectioned to display the pistil and hypanthium .

refer to caption — The suture along the concave curve of the pod of a Crotalaria incana , along which the seeds are attached, is where the single carpel has folded shut.

refer to caption — An undamaged syconium of a Ficus species, plus two more cut open longitudinally to display the fruit within

refer to caption — Umbo in the middle of the cap of Cantharellula umbonata

refer to caption — Thorny prickle s of Senegalia mellifera subspecies detinens are unciform .

refer to caption — Mammillaria bocasana has uncinate tips on its major spines .

refer to caption — Pitchers of the species Nepenthes ventricosa tend to be markedly urceolate .