Glossary of Plant Terms
Use this handy glossary to understand the techical terms used in naming and describing plants.
We are grateful for the generosity of the authors in allowing us to take this information from the book Rainforest Plants of Australia- Rockhampton to Victoria. This book is available as a printed text, a desktop app and a phone app at https://rainforestpublishing.com.au/
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. pinnatifid, trifid.
-foliate: with a number of leaves, e.g. trifoliate.
-foliolate: with a number of leaflets, e.g. 1-foliolate, 2-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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