Glossary of Plant Terms

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