
To back up and bolster the wealth of original content provided on our Web site, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) is building a glossary of horticultural and botanical terms supplemented with photographs and diagrams. For background information see The Glossary Project and “Word of the Week.”
Note that on each page: Hyperlinks in green type link to other MGNV glossary words. Click on images for enlargements or captions and attributions. On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol ⓘ.

achene

cypsela
- achene
- alate
- androdioecious New in 2023!
- androecium [ an-DREE-shee-uhm ]: see stamen, whorl
- annual
- anther
- appressed [ uh-PREST ]: see pubescent
- arachnoid [ uh-RAK-noid ]: see pubescent
- aril
- axil [ AK-sil ]: see petiole
- axillary [ AK-suh-ler-ee ]: see petiole
- axis New in 2023!
- bark New in 2023!
- barren
- beard [ beerd ]: see signal
- berry
- biennial
- bilabiate
- binomial nomenclature New in 2023!
- blade [ bleyd ]:see petiole
- botanical nomenclature New in 2023!
- bract
- bristly [ BRIS-lee ]: see pubescent
- calyx [ KEY-liks, KAL-iks ]: see whorl
- cambium New in 2023!
- canescent [ kuh-NES-uhnt ]: see pubescent
- cauliflory
- ciliate [ sil-ee-it, -eyt ]: see pubescent
- clasping [ KLAS-ping, KLAH-sping ]: see petiole
- conifer New in 2023!
- corolla [ kuh-ROL-uh ]: see whorl
- crest [ krest ]: see signal
- crosier, crozier
- crown [ kroun ]: see rosette
- crustose [ KRUHS-tohs ]: see lichen
- culm
- cultivar New in 2023!
- cupule [ KYOO-pyool ]: see bract
- cuticle New in 2023!
- cyme
- cymose [ SAHY-mohs, sahy-MOHS: see cyme, inflorescence
- cypsela

deciduous

gynodioecious
- fall [ fawl ]: see signal
- fiddlehead [ FID-l-hed ]: see crosier
- filament
- flute
- foliose [ FOH-lee-ohs ]: see lichen
- follicle
- frond
- fruticose [ FROO-ti-kohs ]: see lichen
- galbulus [ GAHL-boo-luhs ]: see strobilus
- glabrous
- glandular [ GLAN-juh-ler ]: see pubescent
- glochid, glochidium
- glume [ gloom ]: see bract
- gynodioecious New in 2023!

heartwood

nutlet
- heartwood New in 2023!
- hesperidium [ hes-puh-RID-ee-uhm ]: see berry
- hirsute [ HUR-soot, hur-SOOT ]: see pubescent
- hispid [ HIS-pid ]: see pubescent
- hoary [ HAWR-ee, HOHR-ee ]: see pubescent
- holdfast
- inflorescence
- internode [ IN-ter-nohd ]: see node, petiole, stolon
- involucre [ IN-vuh-loo-ker ]: see bract
- knee
- lamina [ LAM-uh-nuh ]: see frond, petiole
- lanate [ LEY-neyt ]: see pubescent
- lanceolate
- lemma [ LEM-uh ]: see bract
- legume New in 2023!
- lenticel
- lichen
- marcescent
- mast
- megasporangium [ meg-uh-spaw-RAN-jee-uhm, -spoh- ]: see sporangium
- megasporophyll [ meg-uh-SPAWR-uh-fil, -SPOHR- ]: see sporangium
- megastrobilus [ meg-uh-stroh-BAHY-luhs ]: see strobilus
- microsporangium [ mahy-kroh-spaw-RAN-jee-uhm, -spoh- ]: see sporangium, stamen
- microsporophyll [ mahy-kruh-SPAWR-uh-fil, -SPOHR- ]: see sporangium
- microstrobilus [ mahy-kroh-stroh-BAHY-luhs ]: see strobilus
- monoecious
- nativar New in 2023!
- node
- nutlet

palmate

pubescent
- palmate
- palea [ PEY-lee-uh ]: see bract
- panicle [ PAN-i-kuhl ]: see raceme
- pappus
- parenchyma New in 2023!
- pedicel
- peduncle
- peltate
- pepo [ PEE-poh ]: see berry
- perennial
- perfoliate [ per-FOH-lee-it, -eyt ]: see petiole
- perianth [PER-ee-anth ]: see whorl
- periderm New in 2023!
- perigynium [ puh-RIJ-uh-nee-uhm ]:see bract, sedge
- persistent
- petal [ PET-l ]: see whorl
- petiole
- phelloderm New in 2023!
- phloem New in 2023!
- phototropism
- phyllary [ FIL-uh-ree ]: see bract
- phyllotaxis
- pilose [ PAHY-lohs ]: see pubescent
- plume, plumule
- pome
- polygamodioecious
- procumbent
- protandry New in 2023!
- protogyny New in 2023!
- pubescent

raceme

sucker
- raceme
- racemose [ RAS-uh-mohs ]: see raceme, inflorescence
- rachis New in 2023!
- ramentum
- rhizome
- rosette
- samara
- sapwood New in 2023!
- scabrous [ SKAB-ruhs ]: see pubescent
- sedge
- sepal [ SEE-puhl ]: see whorl
- sessile
- signal
- sonication [ sawn-ĭ-KEY-shuhn ]: see anther
- sorus [ SAWR-uhs, SOHR- ]: see sporangium
- spathe [ speyth ]: see bract
- spike
- spine
- sporangium
- sporophyll [ SPAWR-uh-fil, SPOHR- ]: see sporangium
- stamen
- stamen irritability: see stamen
- standard [ STAN-derd ]: see signal
- stellate [ STEL-it, -eyt ]: see pubescent
- stem New in 2023!
- stipe
- stolon
- strigose [ STRAHYS-gohs ]: see pubescent
- strobilus
- sub-sessile [ suhb-SES-il, -ahyl ]: see petiole
- sucker

tepal

xylem
Word meanings and phonetic spellings have been informed by Dictionary.com, Encarta World English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and Flora of Virginia, which also was used as a plant species reference. Other sources that may have been consulted for general plant Identification and Information are included in the list of Sources and References for the Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic. This Glossary was created by Mary Free and Christa Watters, Extension Master Gardeners.