| Adventicious roots Slender hair-like roots that emerge along the growing stem or stem fragment.* Go Back |
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| Alternate Leaves spaced singly along a stem, one at each node.* Go Back |  |
| Axil The angle created between two structures on a plant, such as the notch formed between the base of a leaf and the stem. Go Back |
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| Beak A beak-like protrusion, generally used to describe the shape of a seed.* Go Back |  |
| Blade The expanded portion of a leaf, in contrast to the leaf stalk.* Go Back |
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| Bracts Small specialized leaves that are directly associated with a flower or fruit. Go Back |  |
| Branch-divided A divided leaf pattern in which the leaflets branch from the leaf stem many times like the branches of a tree.Go Back |  |
Clone A form of asexual reproduction such as budding, fragmentation, and tubers that produces a genetically identical plant.Go Back
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Divided (Finely divided) Used to describe a compound leaf that is divided into distinct parts called leaflets; a leaf may be divided in various ways, for example, it may be fork-divided, branch-divided, or feather-divided. Go Back
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Double node Two nodes occurring together; in some species a point from which new branches or flower stalks emerge. Go Back
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Emergent Plants have leaves that extend above the water surface, usually found in shallow water.* Go Back
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See Littoral Zone |
| Feather-divided A compound leaf with slender pairs of leaflets arranged in two opposite (or roughly opposite) rows along a common midrib; a pinnate leaf with thread-like leaflets. Go Back |  |
Floating-leaf Describes plants that produce leaves that typically float on the surface.Go Back
| See Littoral Zone |
| Fork-divided Leaf or leaflet that divides by forking one or more times (generally less than three). Go Back |  |
Fruit The seed bearing portion of a plant. Go Back
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| Gland A protrusion or depression on a structure that produces a sticky or greasy substance. Go Back |  |
Lacuna (plural: Lacunae) A space or gap located within tissues. Go Back
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Littoral Zone The near shore shallow water zone of a lake, where light reaches the bottom and aquatic plants grow. Go Back |
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| Mid-rib The central vein of a leaf that runs from the tip to the base of the leaf. Go Back |
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| Node The point on a stem from which a leaf or branch grows. Go Back |
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Nut or Nutlet Dry fruit having a hard shell which usually contains only one seed. Go Back
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| Opposite Leaves are arranged on the stem in pairs, directly across from one another.* Go Back |
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| Petiole A leaf stalk. Go Back |
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| Pinnate A compound leaf with three or more pairs of leaflets arranged in two opposite rows along a common stalk. See Feather Divided. Go Back |
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| Rhizome A creeping underground stem.* Go Back |
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| Rosette An arrangement of leaves in a radiating pattern at the base of the plant.* Go Back |
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| Serrate A sharply toothed leaf margin. Serrations are conspicuous on some species; on other species they may only be visible with magnification.* Go Back |
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| Sheath A portion of the leaf that wraps around the stem of the plant. Go Back |
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| Spike Flowers spaced closely on a single stalk.* Go Back |
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Stigma The pollen receiving tip of a flower's pistil* Go Back
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| Stipule An appendage at the base of a leaf stalk. Go Back |
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| Stolon A stem that creeps along the surface of the sediment or ground.* Go Back |
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| Sub-Opposite Leaves almost opposite each other on the stem, but not precisely opposite. |
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Submersed Describes plants that have most of their leaves growing underwater. Submersed plants may also produce floating leaves or emergent flowering stalks. Go Back
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See Littoral Zone |
| Tuber A bulb-like structure produced along the rhizome. Tubers provide food storage and facilitate asexual reproduction. Go Back |
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| Turion A compacted vegetative bud produced along the stem that can overwinter and form a new plant. Also known as winter buds. Go Back |
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Winter bud See Turion. Go Back
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| Whorled An arrangement of three or more leaves, flowers or bracts radiating from a central point on a stem. Go Back |
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*From Through the Looking Glass
A Field Guide to Aquatic Plants By Susan Borman, Robert Korth, & Jo Temte. Available online at: www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/publications/fieldguide/ |
