Decoding NAture

...a data gateway for educational DNA barcoding

Glossary

Alternate – describing the arrangement of the leaves on a stem. The leaves staggered rather than being opposite each other on the twig.  

Anther – the part of the stamen that contains pollen.

Blade – the thin, usually flat part of the leaf.

Bud – an undeveloped or embryo leaf, flower and/or shoot, plus any protective covering.

Compound – a leaf that is made up of more than one blade called leaflets, all the blades or 'leaflets' are attached to a single leave stem. There will be a bud in the angle between the leaf stalk and the twig to show you if it is simple or compound.

Conifer – trees that have cones, and needle or scale-like leaves.

Crown – everything above the trunk of the tree.

Deciduous - a tree that sheds all its leaves in the autumn.

Entire - when describing the leaf margin, one that is smooth and has no teeth or lobes.

Evergreen - a tree that retains its leaves all year round.

Family - scientific grouping of plants, divided into genera.

Genus – scientific grouping of species. One or more species are grouped into genera.

Herbarium - a collection of dried plant specimens that has been mounted and is used for botanical reference and research.

Key - a tool used to identify groups and species of living things.

Leaf Margin - the edge of a leaf.

Leaflet - a subdivision of a compound leaf. It may look like a leaf but it is attached to the leaf stalk or midrib and not to the shoot.

Lobe - a rounded or pointed section of a leaf, not divided into a leaflet but larger than a tooth.

Midrib - the central vein of a leaf.

Native - a tree that occurs naturally in an area, as opposed to a non-native tree that has been introduced.

Needle - linear leaf of a conifer.

Odourless - no smell.

Opposite - describing the arrangement of the leaves on a twig. The leaves grow in pairs across from one another rather than being alternate to each other.

Palmate - a leaf shape in which the lobes or leaflets radiate from a single point, like fingers from a hand.

Petals – usually larger and more brightly coloured than sepals.

Petiole - where the leaf stalk conects that blade to the twig.

Pinnate a leaf shape in which the lobes or leaflets are arranged on both sides of the stalk or midrib like a feather.

Sepal - the outermost parts of a flower which cover and protect the flower when it is in bud. They are usually green.

Shoot - a young twig.

Simple - a single leaf blade that is not divided into separate leaflets, with a bud at the base of the leaf stalk.

Species - group of organisms with similar characteristics.

Stalk - the structure that supports the main blade of a leaf.

Stigma - the part at the end of the style. It is covered with a sticky substances that pollen sticks to.

Stipule - a small, leaf-like structure, found where the leaf connects to the stem.

Style - a tube-like structure in the centre of a flower that supports the stigma.

Tooth - a notch on the margin of a leaf, smaller than a lobe.

Trunk - the woody stem of a tree, before the branches.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith