Diversity of Plants (Lab Terminology)

Modular

The construction of plants; employing or involving a module or modules as the basis of design or construction.

Phytomers

The units or modules of a plant combined. Node + Internode + Leaf + Axillary bud.

Nodes

Point of attachment for leaves and buds.

Internodes

segment of stems between nodes.

Leaves

Primary photosynthetic organs

Axillary bud

Meristem in the leaf axil

Meristem

A group of undifferentiated cells (stem cells)

Indeterminate

The type of growth pattern plants have

Stem Apical Meristem

Produces leaves and buds with an indeterminate growth pattern

Leaves

No apical meristem, produces no additional organs, and has a determinate growth pattern.

Root Apical Meristem

Produces root tissues in an indeterminate pattern

Blade/Lamina

The flattened expanded portion of the leaf

Adaxial

The side of the leaf that faces the sun and the stem

Abaxial

The side of the leaf that faces the ground

Adaxial

The side of the leaf packed with palisade mesophyll

Abaxial

The side of the leaf that has lots of air spaces and spongy mesophyll

Apex

The tip of the leaf blade

Margin

The edges of the leaf blade

Entire

Another name for a smooth leaf margin

Veins

The part of the leaf that contain xylem and phloem to transport water, nutrients, and photosynthate.

Midrib

The thickened vein present in species with pinnate or reticulate venation.

Phloem

The living vascular tissue in plants that transports sugars made during photosynthesis (photosynthates, especially sucrose) to other parts of the plant.

Xylem

The vascular tissue that transports water from roots to shoots along with other nutrients. Some species this is called wood.

Base

The part of the leaf blade where the petiole connects to the blade

Petiole

The stalk that supports the blade and attaches it to the stem (not present in all species)

Petiolate

When a leaf is attached to the stem via a petiole

Sessile

When a leaf is attached to the stem by its base

Simple Leaf

When the leaf has a single, undivided blade. It may be deeply lobed or cleft.

Compound leaf

When the leaf is divided into two or more discrete segments and appears to have multiple blades. (In this case, the leafes are called leaflets.)

Pinnate

Leaflets arranged in pairs along the central stalk.

Palmate

Leaflets radiate from a common point, like the fingers of a hand

Bipinnate

Twice pinnate

Tripinnate

Thrice pinnate

Stipule

A pair of bracts subtending the petiole (not present in all species)

Phyllotaxy

The arrangement of leaves along a stem

Opposite

Two leaves per node

Alternate

One leaf per node

Whorled

3 or more leaves per node

Basal

All leaves are attached to the base of the shoot and internodes are small or nonexistent.

Stolons

Above ground horizontally growing stems

Rhizomes

Below ground horizontally growing stems

Corms

Enlarged fleshy base of a stem that grows into a bulb like structure

Bulb

A short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases

Stem Tuber

a thickened subterranean branch

True root system

A root system consisting of a primary root (taproot) and secondary roots (lateral roots).

Fibrous root system

The primary root is not dominant and the entire root system is fibrous.

Trichomes

Pubescence on a leaf or stem consists of these uni- or multi- cellular appendages.

Glabrous

When a structure is lacking hair

Tomentose

Densely covered in soft matted hairs, often appearing silvery.

Glandular

Hairs that produce oil glands

Villous

Densely covered in soft, long hairs

Branched

Hairs terminating in a branching pattern

Stellate

Hairs with a star-shaped branching pattern

Glaucous

Lacking hair, but covered in a waxy covering, often appearing blue-ish

Monophyletic

A collection of organisms that includes a single common ancestor and all of its descendants

Paraphyletic

A biological grouping that includes a common ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendant lineages

Polyphyletic

A collection of organisms that is grouped together based on shared characteristics, but does not share a recent common ancestor

Capsule

What is A?

Seta

What is B?

Foot

What is C?

Rhizoids

What is D?

Sporophyte (2N)

What is E?

Gametophyte (N)

What is F?

Calyptra

What is A?

Operculum

What is B?

Peristome

What is C?

Capsule

What is D?

Seta

What is E?

Acrocarps

In mosses, what is the growth habit that has erect/ascending shoots that are typically unbranched?

Pleurocarps

In mosses, what is the growth habit that has creeping, extensive lateral branching?

Calyptra

What is the maternal gametophyte structure that covers the apex of the offspring sporophyte and is critical for the transition from seta formation to capsule differentiation in many moss taxa?

Operculum

What is the deciduous cap that seals the mouth of sporophyte’s spore capsule, safeguarding immature spores until environmental conditions are optimal for dispersal?

Peristome

In mosses, what is the specialized structure that allows for the gradual discharge of spores instead of releasing them all at once?

Bryophytes

Lacking true vasculature, gametophyte is the larger and longer-living generation, parascope-like sporangia with seta and capsule.

Lycophyte

Simple vascular plants with microphylls, sporophyte is the larger and longer lived generation.

Microphylls

Single-vein leaves

Arborescent Lycophytes

Some of the first humongous plants on land because they could move water from the ground to leaves through xylem cells like tracheids.

Megaphylls

Multi-veined leaves

Lycophytes

Which group has sporangia grouped into strobili?

Ferns

Which group has sporangia grouped into sori (usually)?

Microsporangium

Found in male gymnosperm cones, produced microspores and pollen.

Megasporangium

Found in female gymnosperm cones, produces megaspores and egg.