Common terms and definitions for wildflowers and grasses.

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Flower Anatomy

  • Bract – A leaf-like element that protects the bloom before it opens
  • Inflorescence – the flowering body of the plant
  • Peduncle – This is the stem or the stalk of the flower
  • Petal – gives the flower its unique shape and color
  • Pistil or Carpel – This is the female organ of the flower that has four major parts – stigma, style, ovary and ovules; the seed-bearing part of the flower
  • Receptacle – It is the thicker part at the bottom of the flower that holds the major organs
  • Sepal – These are small leaf like parts are the base of the petal that protect the flower before it blooms
  • Stamen – this is the male organ of the flower that consist of two major parts – anther and filament; the pollen bearing part of the flower

Grass Anatomy

  • Blade – The expanded part of the leaf
  • Collar – Is located on the outside of the leaf where the sheath and blade meet
  • Culm – The jointed stem
  • Inflorescence – Seed head, reproductive part of the plant
  • Sheath – starts at the node and surrounds the stem
  • Ligule – wraps tightly around the stem on the inside where the sheath and blade meet
  • Rhizomes – A stem that originates from the base of the main stem and grows horizontally below the surface of the ground

Leaf Veins or Patterns

  • Arcuate – veins curve at the end before they reach the margins of the leaf
  • Longitudinal – veins align with the leaf axis or length
  • Palmate – Several main veins diverging from a main point
  • Parallel – Veins arranged along the axis of the leaf without intersecting
  • Pinnate – Primary vein runs down the center of leaf and secondary veins run in pairs at varying angles
  • Reticulate – small veins that run in all directions forming a network of veins
  • Rotate – Veins radiate from a center point

Leaf Organization

  • Compound – A leaf with the leaf blade is divided to the midrib forming two or more leaflets on a common axis
  • Bipinnate – leaves that are further divided in a pinnate arrangement
  • Even Pinnate – leaves are in rows with two at the tip
  • Pinnate – Leaflets arranged on either side of the stem typically arranged in pairs that are opposite
  • Odd Pinnate – leaves are in rows with one at the tip
  • Trifoliate or Ternate – leaves are in threes

Leaf Arrangement

  • Alternate leaf – In alternate leaved plants, the leaves are single at each node and stand along the stem alternately in an ascending spiral. Alternate may also be referred to as a spiral arrangement.
  • Basal – Leaf that grows from the lowest part of the stem in a tight cluster or rosette
  • Opposite Leaf – In opposite leaved plants the leaves are pared at a node and stand opposite to each other; leaflets in adjacent pairs
  • Whorled Leaf – In whorled leaved plants there are three or more leaves equally spaced at a node or the same level around the stem

Leaf Shape

  • Cordate – Heart shaped leaf with the stem in the cleft
  • Elliptic – Also called oval shaped with little or no point
  • Lanceolate – Shaped like a lance head and tapering to a point at each end
  • Linear – Elongated with parallel margins
  • Oblong – Leaf is narrow and nearly four times longer that it is wide
  • Obovate – Egg shaped and narrow at the base
  • Obcordate – Heart shaped with stem at the point
  • Orbicular – Circular
  • Ovate – Egg shaped, wide at the base
  • Palmate – Resembles a hand shape
  • Pinnatifid – Pinnately divided but not all the way down to the central axis
  • Truncate – Similar to obovate but squared off at the apex or base

Leaf Edges or Margins

  • Ciliate – leaf edges have fine hairs
  • Crenate – Leaf edges have rounded teeth
  • Dentate/ Denticulate – Leaf edges have teeth with very fine definition
  • Flat – Leaf margins have no rolled direction
  • Involute – Leaf margins are rolled upward toward the top of the leaf
  • Lobed/ Lobate/ Cleft – Leaf edges are indented but not to a midline
  • Revolute – Leaf margins are rolled downward toward the underside of the leaf
  • Serrated – Leaf edges a have teeth that are pointing forward
  • Smooth/ Entire – Leaf edges have no indentions or hairs; also referred to as entire

Leaf Attachments

  • Clasping – Similar to sessile where the leaves wrap around the main stem
  • Perfoliate – Leaves united at the stem in a way that it appears the stem pierces the leaves
  • Petiole – leaves have a definite stem or foot stalk
  • Sessile – leaves that are directly attached to the base of the plant, they have no pedicel or peduncle

Leaf Surfaces

  • Glabrous – Without hairs of any kind
  • Glaucous – Covered with a powder or waxy coating
  • Glutinous/ Viscid – Covered with a sticky resinous secretion
  • Pubescent – Has a hairy surface, from fine hairs to longer more full hairs
  • Punctate – Dotted with minute pits or dots
  • Scurfy – Covered with small scale-like particles
  • Tuberculate – Has tubercles or warty bumps

Types of Inflorescence

  • Corymb – An indeterminate inflorescence forming a convex or flat-topped cluster where the pedicles originate from a central axis on the stalk
  • Cyme – A determinate inflorescence forming a convex or flat-topped cluster.  Often there are multiple levels of branching.
  • Head – a compact inflorescence with the flowers so tightly compact they appear to be a single unit.
  • Panicle – An indeterminate consisting of a compound raceme; a central axis bearing racemes as a secondary unit.
  • Raceme – a simple indeterminate inflorescence consisting of stalked flowers attached to a central stem and forming an elongated cluster.
  • Terminal/ Solitary – Single flower head on an isolated stem rising individually from the leaf axils
  • Spike/ Spica – An indeterminate inflorescence consisting of stalkless flowers attached to a central stem forming a highly elongated cluster
  • Umbel – A branched inflorescence forming a convex cluster where all the pedicles originate from a single point. There are simple and complex umbels
  • Axillary – Arises from the axil of a leaf instead of the end of the stem

Stem Characteristic

  • Angular – A stem that has flat or angled edges at its cross section
  • Canescent – Very dense with gray-white hairs
  • Glabrous – Smooth, lacking surface hairs or scales
  • Pubescent – Covered with short, soft, erect hairs
  • Stout – Well developed and sturdy above the ground
  • Terete – A stem that has a circular shape at its cross section.  It may also taper at its ends
  • Winged/ Ridged – A stem that has flanges or wings that run parallel to the stem

PLANT IDENTIFICATION GUIDES

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Central Region Seedling ID Guide

Courtesy of NRCS, MDC & Grow Native! This guide provides identification of 40 species, both grasses and wildflowers, native to Missouri and adjacent states.

Illinois Wildflowers

Full of great descriptions and photos of natives in all growth phases.

U.S. Wildflowers

If you already know what you’re looking for, search here by scientific or common name. Or look at flowers by State.

My Wildflowers

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