Glossary | Cichorieae Portal

Hyphenated character states, such as "triangular-ovate", refer to transitional character states. They must not be confused with character state ranges, which are consistently denoted as, e.g. "triangular to ovate".
The prefix "sub-" diminishes a character state: e.g. subglabrous means nearly glabrous.

Credits

Advice for the definitions and artworks for the illustrations (by Michael Rodewald, Berlin) of terms explained in this glossary have been sought in various sources. Where the usage of terms differs between sources, the Portal editors decided as they think best. Feedback is most welcome.

The following glossaries have been the main sources:

Beentje H. & Cheek M. 2003: Glossary. Flora of Tropical East Africa. – Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens.
Hewson H. J. 1988: Plant indumentum. A handbook of terminology. – Austral. Fl. Fauna Ser. 9.
Stearn W. T. 1986: Botanical Latin, ed. 3. – Newton Abbot: David & Charles.

2. General terms
2.1.1 Outline
elliptic	broadest at the middle with two equal rounded ends, the sides more gently rounded (1-5, 7-11)


oblong	longer than broad, with the margins parallel for most of their length (12-17, 19-24)

linear	narrow and much longer than wide, with parallel margins (12, 24)


ovate	egg-shaped, about twice as long as broad, with the wider part below the middle (36-44)

lanceolate	= narrowly ovate (36, 37)


obovate	egg-shaped with the broadest part near the apex (45-53)

spathulate	= oblanceolate = narrowly obovate (45, 46)


triangular	having three angles, like a triangle (72-83)

deltate	shaped like a ± equal-sided triangle (78-79)

2.1.2 Apex
acute	sharp, sharply pointed, the margins near the tip being almost straight and forming an angle of < 90°; opposite: obtuse

acuminate	tapering to a long tip (usually of leaf tips)

mucronate	ending abruptly in short stiff point

obtuse	= blunt; not pointed; opposite: acute

rounded	smoothly curved, without abrupt angels

truncate	ending abruptly in a more or less straight line, as if cut off

2.1.3 Base
cuneate	tapering gradually, wedge-shaped

truncate	ending abruptly in a more or less straight line, as if cut off

attenuate	gradually tapering over a long distance

cordate	deeply notched so the whole base has a slight heart-shape

hastate	with 2 ± triangular lobes diverging from the petiole apex

sagittate	with 2 acute lobes, like an arrow-head

oblique	when the two sides of the leaf are unequal near the base

peltate	round and attached in or near the centre; of a leaf, with the petiole attached to the blade, away from the margin

auriculate	embracing/clasping the stem with ear-like structures
clasping	= amplexicaul; embracing the stem, e.g. the leaf base extending to the side of the stem opposite to the main blade

semi-amplexicaul	embracing half of the stem

decurrent	extending downwards; said of leaf edges when they continue down the stem as wings or raised lines

2.1.4 Incision
entire	not divided

pinnate	divided into a central axis and several lateral ribs or leaflets (like a feather)

pinnatilobed	pinnately lobed = pinnately divided, depth of incision not specified

pinnatifid	pinnately divided clearly less than halfways, with shallow lobes

runcinate	pinnatifid with the lobes pointing towards the base

pinnatipartite	pinnately divided to about halfway

pinnatisect	pinnately divided almost to midrib

lyrate	= lyriform; = lyre-shaped; pinnately divided with a large terminal lobe and being sinuate laterally

lyrate-pinnatifid	= lyrately pinnatifid

lyrate-pinnatisect	lyrately pinnatisect

2.1.5 Margin
entire	smooth, unbroken by serrations, teeth or other irregularities

dentate denticulate	prominently toothed with acute symmetrical projections finely toothed

lacerate	torn at the margin, irregularly lobed, as if torn

laciniate	cut into slender lobes or drawn-out teeth

pectinate	like a comb, with very close narrow and parallel divisions

serrate serrulate	toothed like a saw, with regular acute and angled teeth minutely serrate

sinuate	when the margin is uneven, with rather deep rounded sinusoidal undulations

spinose	with spines

undulate	wavy

ciliate	bearing a fringe of hairs along the margin

2.2.1 Solidity and solid form
a. Solidity
hollow	unfilled; opposite: medullary

medullary	pith-filled; opposite: hollow

b. Solid form
cylindrical	= cylindric; like a cylinder, i.e. long and narrow with a circular cross-section

campanulate	bell-shaped; with a tube about as long as wide, and a flaring limb

clavate	= club-shaped; thickened towards the upper end

ovoid	egg-shaped, with the broad part below the middle/nearest the base

obovoid	egg-shaped, with broadest part towards the apex

fusiform	= spindle-shaped; thick, but tapering towards both ends

turbinate	top-shaped, obconical and narrowed towards the point

hemispherical	= plano-convex; in the shape of half a sphere or globe

funnel-shaped	= funnel-form = infundibuliform; proximally tubular, abruptly widening to a wider distal part

2.2.2 Cross section shape
terete	circular in cross-section, lacking grooves or ridges

angular	= angulate; with an edge, as where two planes meet

triangular	with 3 edges

ribbed	with longitudinal, distinctly convex elevations

sulcate	grooved, furrowed with longitudinal grooves

winged	with flattened to blade-like expansions

canaliculated	= channelled; with a longitudinal channel or groove

2.3.1 Position and surface shape
a. Position
retrorse	= pointed downwards = recurved; bent abruptly backward or pointed towards the proximal part; opposite: antrorse

antrorse	pointing towards the distal end, upwards or forwards; opposite: retrorse

spreading	= patent; held at 90° from the subtending axis

spreading-erect	= erecto-patent; held at 45° from the subtending axis)

b. Surface shape
flat	having a horizontal surface

convex	with a rounded surface, like the outside of a bowl; opposite: concave
concave	hollow, as the inside of a bowl; opposite: convex

3.1.1 Surface structure
pitted	with small depressions (pits)

alveolate	with pits looking like a honeycomb

foveolate	minutely pitted

areolate	divided into distinct spaces by boundary lines

smooth	even

wrinkled	= rugose

muricate	rough, with short hard pointed protuberances

striate	with several fine, parallel, longitudinal grooves

tuberculate	covered with wart-like protuberances or knobs

verrucose	warty

3.1.2 Texture and other
a. Texture
leathery	= coriaceous; as tough as leather

scarious	= membranaceous = membranous) thin and dry, not green

cartilaginous	= cartilagineous = callose; hard and tough, but slightly bendy

b. Other
homomorphic	units (e.g. achenes, pappus bristles) uniform (including minor gradual differences)

heteromorphic	units not uniform, with structural differences

dimorphic	two different types of units (e.g. outer and inner achenes of a head)

uniseriate	in a single whorl or series

biseriate	in two whorles or series

3.1.3 General elements and armament (hairs)
a. General elements
trichome	an epidermal outgrowth

bristle	= seta; a stiff, rigid trichome

hair	an elongated single-celled or multi-celled trichome, without vascular tissue

papilla	trichome; a small elongated extension of one epidermal cell

scale	trichome; rather small, flat extension on the surfaces

prickle	a sharp outgrowth from the surface of a plant, involving several layers of cells but not containing a vein, detachable without tearing the organ

spine	= thorn; a stiff, sharp-pointed structure, formed by modification of a plant organ, e.g. a lateral branch or a stipule, detachable only with tearing the organ

b) Armament (hairs)
forked hair	(= bifid) divided at the tip in two (usually equal) parts by a median cleft

stellate hair	star-shaped, with numerous arms radiating outwards

3.2 Indumentum (trichome cover)
glabrous	without hairs, scales or other indumentums

glabrescent	becoming glabrous or nearly so

arachnoid	= cobwebbed; cobweb-like, tangled cottony, the hairs in several directions and tangling

cottony	with long, soft, weak, filamentous hairs, somewhat flocculent and entangled

floccose	bearing tufts of soft hairs or wool which tend to rub off and adhere in small masses

hirsute	bearing coarse, stiff, long hairs

hispid hispidulous	= setose; with stiff hairs or bristles, rough to the touch = strigillose; minutely hispid

papillose	bearing papillae

pilose	hairy, the hairs soft and clearly separated but not sparse

pubescent	covered in fine, short, erect hairs

puberulous	= puberulent; shortly pubescent

scabrid	= scabrous; rough to the touch, usually from the presence of minute stiff hairs
scabridulous	minutely scabrid

silky	= sericeous; with closely appressed, soft, straight, fine hairs and somewhat shiny

strigose	with sharp, stiff hairs appressed to the surface

tomentose	densely covered in short soft hairs, these somewhat curly and matted

velvety	very densely covered with fine, short, soft, erect hairs

villose	= villous; shaggy, with long soft hairs

woolly	= lanate = lanuginose; with tangled long hairs

glandular	covered with glands or with a zone of secretion-producing tissue

viscid	sticky

scaly	bearing scales

3.3.1 Growth form (general)
tree	perennial woody plant with secondary thickening, with a clear main trunk. The distinction between tree and shrub is fluid, but generally accepted to be dependent on the single trunk, and on height, a tree being at least 2-3 m tall.

shrub	self-supporting woody plant branching at or near the ground or with several stems from the base; also used for plants with a single stem but then ‘quite short’ (< 2 m)

subshrub	shrub, with basally woody, apically herbaceous stems

rosette shrub	branches all formed by the woody rosette axes, densely covered with the scars of the former rosette leaves, and with the leaves arranged in terminal rosettes

dwarf shrub	shrub c. < 0.5 m tall

herb	plant without persistent woody stem above ground

rosette herb	herb with a permanent leaf rosette

3.3.2 Growth form (lifetime)
annual	completing its life cycle within one year or one growing season

biennial	taking 2 years from seedling stage to maturity, seed-set and death, usually hibernating in the rosette stage

pauciennial	living for a few years

perennial	living for several to many years

3.3.3 Growth form (special)
scapose	with a scape; said of herbs with a basal rosette and an head rising from the centre of the rosette on a leafless stalk

acaulescent	= acaulous; without a stem (or without a visible stem)

cushion-forming	many plants growing close together, forming a dense rounded mass

rhizomatous	with an underground stem (rhizome)

climbing	growing upwards by attaching itself to other structures which are used as supports

scoparious	shaped like a broom, with several closely set, upward-pointing stems

procumbent	trailing or spreading along the ground but not rooting at the nodes

ascending	growing erect after an oblique or semi-horizontal beginning

3.4.1 Subterranean parts
rhizome	underground stem, as distinct from root; distinguished by its nodes, buds or scale-like leaves; growing either horizontally or oblique (ascending)

taproot	the primary root, going straight down

secondary root	a root branching from the primary root

tuberous root	= tuber; a swollen root or branch of a root acting as a reserve store of nourishment or water

root-born shoot	an elongated stem (shoot), which can arise from both the taproot and the lateral roots

3.4.2 Aerial parts
caudex	often woody, persisting shoot structure of perennial rosette plants. The rosette shoot terminates with a short-lived herbaceous flowering stem and axillary buds consecutively continue the growth of the primary rosette shoot. The result is a rosette axis, densely covered marchescent leaves or the scars of the former rosette leaves, which may become elongated, woody and branched, the plants becoming few-rosetted.

flowering stem	the flowering stem is leafless or leafy, branched to certain extends or unbranched and its growth is terminated by the flower heads, which are disposed in varies ways, described as types of synflorescences.

scape	the scape is an unbranched, essentially leafless and nodeless stalk of a single flower head, arising from a caudex or rhizome.

3.5 Synflorescence (capitulescence, secondary inflorescence)
	The disposition of the flower heads in certain structures is often described with the terminology otherwise used for the disposition of single flowers in inflorescences. The application of the inflorescence terminology to the disposition of flower heads is, however, inaccurate, as both are not homologous. The disposition of heads is therefore termed synflorescence and the superficial resemblance of certain types of disposition with such in inflorescences is expressed by terms alluding to this similarity with the suffic "-form".

Synflorescence type
racemiform	a main axis produces a series of heads on lateral peduncles; the oldest at the base and the youngest at the top; shaped somehow like a raceme

paniculiform	the main axis has several lateral branches, each of which carries several heads; somehow like a panicle

corymbiform	a main axis produces a series of heads on branched lateral axes that start from different points of the main axis but all reach to almost the same level; shaped somehow like a corymb (pseudoumbel)

spiciform	a main axis produces a series of sessile heads; somehow like a spike

syncalathium	secondary head with sessile (primary) heads on a secondary receptacle

virgate	refering to a single branch: long, slender, unbranched, shaped like a rod

intricate	dense, tangled

divaricate	zig-zag

indeterminate	with the lower or outer flowers opening before the upper or inner ones, and with the floral axis continuing to grow indefinitely

3.6 Heads, receptacle + flower
a. Position of heads
pendent	= pendant = pendulous = drooping; hanging or inclining downward

b. Receptacle
paleate	= paleaceous = scaly; with chaffy scales amongst the flowers

epaleate	without scales

bristly	with stiff strong hairs

naked	lacking scales and bristles

c. Flowers shape
ligulate	corolla with a tubular base and a 5-toothed ligule

tubular	cylindrical and hollow, with a 5-lobed limb

3.7 Achenes and pappus
a. General
achenes	= cypsela; a small dry thin-walled fruit, not splitting when ripe, and containing a single seed

pappus	a series of bristles, hairs or scales on the apex of the achene

b. Pappus persistence
persistent	remaining in place, not falling off; opposite: caducous

caducous	falling off soon after formation; opposite: persistent

c. Pappus texture
fragile	easily broken or damaged

flexible	= soft; capable of being bent, usually without breaking

d. Pappus type
paleaceous	= paleate; composed of scales, that are laterally fused hairs

setaceous	bristle-like, narrow and stiff

e. Pappus bristle type
bristle	trichome-like pappus element composed of a certain smaller or larger number of cells in cross section shape usually attenuate distally

fimbria	pl. fimbriae, side projection (= lateral projection)

scabrid	= scabridulous; rough, with very short fimbriae

denticulate	= toothed; with short teeth-like fimbriae

barbellate	= long-toothed; with long teeth-like fimbriae, few times longer than diameter of the bristle

plumose	with fimbriae many times longer than the diameter of the seta

	feather-like fimbriately plumose fimbriae arranged in one plane as is the case in a true feather

	stiffly fimbriately plumose with stiff fimbriae pointing in all directions like a bottle-brush, each fimbria consisting of a single giant tubular cell resembling a macaroni

	softly fimbriately plumose with soft and often interwined fimbriae pointing in all directions and consisting of a row of flattened cells resembling cotton fibers or knitting wool along the seta