Glossary of Plant Terms

Elaeocarpus obovatus

Use this handy glossary to understand the techical terms used in naming and describing plants 

Myall Park Botanic Garden Flowers

Prefixes

ab-: away from, e.g. abaxial.

ad-: towards, e.g. adaxial.

apo-: separate, away from, e.g. apocarpous.

bi-: two, with two, e.g. bifoliolate leaves and bipinnate leaves.

e-: without, e.g. eglandular.

endo-: within, e.g. endocarp.

epi-: upon, outer, e.g. epipetalous and epicalyx.

hemi-: half, e.g. hemi-parasite.

hypo-: under, below, e.g. hypogynous.

infra-: below, e.g. infraspecific.

inter-: between, e.g. internode and interpetiolar stipules.

intra-: inside, e.g. intramarginal vein.

di-: two, with two, e.g. dicotyledons.

mono-: one, with one, e.g. monocotyledons.

multi-: many, e.g. multistemmed.

ob-: against, reverse, e.g. oblanceolate.

penta-: five, with five, e.g. pentamerous.

peri-: around, e.g. perigynous.

pseudo-: false, e.g. pseudo-whorled.

quadri-: four, with four, e.g. quadriternate.

semi-: half, e.g. semi-circular.

sub-: below, under, e.g. sub-opposite.

supra-: above, e.g. supra-axillary.

syn-: united, e.g. syncarpous.

tetra-: four, with four, e.g. tetramerous.

tri-: three, with three, e.g. trifoliolate leaves.

uni-: one, with one, e.g. unifoliolate leaf.

Suffixes

-aceous: having the nature of, e.g. herbaceous.

-ate: having a feature, e.g. geniculate.

-carpous: referring to carpels, e.g. apocarpous.

-escent: becoming, e.g. glabrescent.

-fid: cut or divided to less than halfway, e.g. pinnatifidtrifid.

-foliate: with a number of leaves, e.g. trifoliate.

-foliolate: with a number of leaflets, e.g. 1-foliolate2-foliolate.

-form: like or in the form of, e.g. umbelliform

-gonous: angled, with a number of angles, e.g. trigonous.

-merous: the number of parts in the floral whorls, e.g. trimerous.

-oid: resembling, e.g. ovoid.

-ose: giving adjectival standing to the noun stem to which it is attached, e.g. spinose.

-pinnate: with a number of divisions, e.g. 2-pinnate.

-sect: cut or divided to more than halfway, e.g.pinnatisect.

-ulate: a diminuative, e.g. crenulate.

Numbered Terms

1-foliolate: one-foliolate.

1-veined: one-veined.

2-branched: two-branched.

2-morphic: dimorphic.

2-fid: bifid.

2-foliolate: bifoliolate.

2-pinnate: bipinnate.

2-pinnatifid: bipinnatifid.

2-ranked: two-ranked.

2-ternate: biternate.

3-angled: triquetrous.

3-fid: trifid.

3-foliate: trifoliate.

3-foliolate: trifoliolate.

3-merous: trimerous.

3-morphic: trimorphic.

3-pinnate: tripinnate.

3-ternate: triternate.

3-veined: three-veined.

4-ternate: quadriternate.

4-merous: tetramerous.

5-merous: pentamerous.

Links to general plant term glossary (by letter)

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