Exercise 4: Differentiation of Woody Plants Based on Stem Form, Bark Types, and Branching Pattern

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing key terms and definitions regarding stem forms, bark types, and branching patterns in forest plants.

Cylindrical Stem Form

A bole or stem form where the trunk is not tapering or is only slightly tapering from the base of the tree upwards, appearing circular from a top view.

Tapering Stem Form

A stem form characterized by decreasing perceptively in diameter from the base to the top, appearing circular from a top view.

Fluted Stem Form

A stem form that is irregular in cross-section with conspicuous vertical ridges and rounded, shallow, concave grooves or furrows in the bark along the bole, appearing flower-shaped or irregular-shaped from a top view.

Latticed Stem Form

A stem structure consisting of a crossed pattern usually arranged to form a diagonal pattern of open spaces between strips, appearing circular or angular from a top view.

Palm Stem Form

Stem form characteristic of palms, which are cylindrical to slightly tapered and occasionally bulging in shape.

Bamboo Stem Form

Stems produced as erect cylindrical to slightly tapered culms that grow in an upward direction and elongate as long as the culm is alive.

Smooth Bark

A bark form where the surface is even and generally unbroken, although some bumps may be present due to lenticels or dents.

Fissured Bark

A bark form characterized by cracked bark with narrow furrows or grooves that are irregularly interconnected.

Scaly Bark

A bark form characterized by small detachable scales or scars that are generally not longer than $8\,cm$.

Flaky Bark

A bark form where detachable scales are quite large, generally longer than $8\,cm$, and thinner than scaly bark.

Thorny Bark

A bark form equipped with stiff, sharp spines or prickles used for predatory defense and protection purposes.

Pustuled Bark

A bark form characterized by conspicuously raised areas or swellings caused by lenticels or by the natural pruning of small branches.

Pocked-marked Bark

A bark form with conspicuously deep areas or dents resulting from the removal of thick circular plates of bark, where the removed part is relatively thicker than in flaky or scaly bark.

Palm Bark Form

Bark surface characteristics in palms ranging from smooth to extremely rough and knobby, featuring spines or a lattice pattern.

Bamboo Bark Form

Outer culm surface in bamboo ranging from smooth to extremely rough with trichomes.

Excurrent Branching

A branch location pattern in which the main trunk extends the entire height of the tree, with branches forming distinct patterns along it (e.g., pines and evergreens).

Decurrent Branching

A branch location pattern in which the main trunk continues up about halfway without branches, then splits into more than one main branch to form a spreading crown (e.g., fruit trees).

Columnar (Caudex) Branching

A branch location pattern where the main trunk continues the full height of the tree, with branches forming ONLY at the top from the apical meristem (e.g., palms).

Orthotropic Branch Formation

Branch growth that is upright and vertical, typically displaying radial stem symmetry.

Plagiotropic Branch Formation

Branch growth that is horizontal, often associated with bilateral symmetry.

Mixed Axes

Stems or branches that grow orthotropically then plagiotropically, or vice versa.

Ageotropic Stems

Stems that exhibit no particular orientation during growth.

Opposite Branch Arrangement

A phyllotactic arrangement where branches grow directly across from each other on opposite sides of the trunk.

Alternate Branch Arrangement

A phyllotactic arrangement where branches grow on opposite sides, but one branch is located further up the trunk than the other.

Spiral Branch Arrangement

A phyllotactic arrangement where branches grow alternately along the trunk in a corkscrew-like spiral pattern moving upward.

Whorled Branch Arrangement

A phyllotactic arrangement where branches attach in groups of 2 or 3 from the exact same location on the trunk.