Horticulture and Plant Biology Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Horticulture and Plant Biology lecture notes, including definitions related to plant classification, structure, reproduction, and genetics.

Horticulture

Garden cultivation, often called the green industry, involving the production of garden plants, seeds, vegetables, flowers, potted plants, cuttings, nursery crops, Christmas trees, fruits, and nuts.

Applied Science (Horticulture)

A field that uses skills to produce a crop, prune a tree, or breed a new rose cultivar.

Hard Science (Botany)

A field focused on plant classification, biochemistry, and anatomy.

Olericulture

The science and practice of growing vegetables.

Pomology

The science and practice of growing tree fruits and small fruits.

Viticulture

The growing of grapes.

Enology

The making of wine.

Floriculture

The cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants.

Landscape Horticulture

A broad category that includes landscape design, arboriculture, urban forestry, commercial forestry, and landscape maintenance.

Arboriculture

The cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.

Urban Forestry

The management of trees and forest resources in and around urban areas.

Interiorscaping

The design, installation, and maintenance of plants indoors for aesthetic purposes.

Horticulture Therapy

The use of plants and garden-related activities to improve human well-being.

Plant Pathology

The scientific study of plant diseases.

Entomology

The scientific study of insects.

Plant Breeding

The genetic improvement of plants to produce new varieties with desirable traits.

Biotechnology

The application of biological processes to improve plants, often including techniques like tissue culture.

Tissue Culture (Plant)

A method of plant propagation using small pieces of plant tissue grown on an artificial medium under sterile conditions.

Soil Science

The study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth.

Weed Science

The study and management of unwanted plants.

Theophrastus

An ancient Greek philosopher who pioneered early plant classification based on categories like trees, shrubs, half-shrubs, herbs, and life cycles.

Annuals

Plants that complete their life cycle (seed to seed) in one growing season and then die.

Biennials

Plants that complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically producing a rosette in the first and a seed spike in the second before dying.

Perennials

Plants that live for multiple years, reaching reproductive maturity and producing seeds or spores annually under favorable conditions.

Botanical Classification (Taxonomy)

The scientific system for classifying and naming plants, primarily developed by Carolus Linnaeus.

Carolus Linnaeus

The Swedish botanist who developed the modern system of botanical classification based on similar morphology.

Plant Nomenclature

The system of naming plants, based on Latin, which proceeds from broad to more specific categories (Kingdom, Division, Class, Subclass, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

Taxonomists

Scientists who study and classify organisms, including plants.

Filicinae

A plant class that includes ferns.

Gymnospermae

A plant class that includes ginkgoes, cycads, taxads, and conifers.

Angiospermae

A plant class that includes all flowering plants.

Dicotyldondeae (Dicots)

A subclass of Angiospermae characterized by seeds with two cotyledons, net leaf venation, and flower parts typically in fours or fives or multiples thereof.

Monocotyledoneae (Monocots)

A subclass of Angiospermae characterized by seeds with one cotyledon, parallel leaf venation, and flower parts typically in threes or multiples thereof.

Plant Families

A taxonomic rank that generally ends in -aceae, capitalized and italicized (or underlined), indicating similarities between plant species.

Binomial Nomenclature

A system of naming organisms using two parts: the genus and the specific epithet.

Genus

The first part of a binomial name, representing a group of closely related species, similar to a last name.

Specific Epithet

The second part of a binomial name, denoting the particular species within a genus, similar to a first name.

Forma (f.)

A difference within a species that is too subtle to be classified as a distinct variety.

Variety (var.)

A natural variation within a species.

Cultivar

A human-selected and vegetatively propagated and maintained variety, typically identified with single quotation marks and capitalized words (e.g., 'Dwarf White').

Line (Plant)

A cultivar that is sexually propagated, commonly found in vegetables or bedding plants.

Series (Plant)

A group of similar lines, often distinguished by a different flower color.

Hybrid

A cross between two different species or genera, often represented with an 'x' in its name (e.g., Rose x hybrida).

Intergeneric Hybrid

A hybrid formed from a cross between two different genera, indicated by an 'X' in front of the genus name (e.g., X Farshedera).

Herbaceous (Succulent) Plants

Plants with 'soft' annual tissues; their perennial parts (if any) survive winter below-ground.

Woody Plants

Plants with 'hard' perennial tissues that survive winter above-ground.

Vines/Lianas

Herbaceous or woody plants that climb or twine up vertical supports.

Trees

Large, self-supporting woody plants.

Shrubs

Smaller, self-supporting woody plants.

Tender Plants

Plants readily damaged by frost.

Hardy Plants

Plants not easily damaged by frost.

Warm Season Plants

Plants that prefer and thrive in warm temperatures (e.g., squash, lima beans).

Cool Season Plants

Plants that prefer and thrive in cool temperatures (e.g., broccoli, kale, lettuce).

Hydrophytes

Plants that grow in water or continuously wet soils.

Mesophytes

Plants that grow in soils that experience a range from wet to dry multiple times during the year (most horticultural plants).

Xerophytes

Plants adapted to seasonal or persistent drought conditions (e.g., cacti, some succulents).

Halophytes

Plants adapted to growing in high salt concentrations (e.g., beets, spinach).

Acidophiles

Plants that prefer acidic soils (e.g., blueberries, rhododendrons).

Basophiles

Plants that prefer basic (alkaline) soils (e.g., coltsfoot).

Winter Annuals

Annual plants that germinate from seed in the fall, overwinter as small plants, produce seed the following spring, and then die.

Dichotomous Keys

Tools used to identify plants based on a series of paired statements or choices that lead to the correct identification.

Cell (Plant)

The basic unit of all living things, including plants.

Cell Wall

A rigid outer layer in plant cells that provides structural support and enables plants to grow tall.

Chloroplasts

Organelles within plant cells that contain chlorophyll and are responsible for photosynthesis (making food).

Meristems

Regions of rapidly dividing cells located at growing points in plants, responsible for most plant growth.

Apical Meristems

Meristems located at the tips of roots and shoots, responsible for primary growth (lengthening).

Intercalary Meristems

Specialized meristems found in grasses, allowing them to regrow after being mowed.

Secondary (Vascular Cambium) Meristem

A lateral meristem responsible for increasing the girth of stems and roots, forming tree rings.

Epidermis (Plant)

The outermost protective layer of cells on plant organs, which includes stomata for gas and water exchange, and sometimes trichomes.

Stomata

Small pores or openings, primarily on the epidermis of leaves, that regulate gas exchange and transpiration.

Trichomes

Hair-like or spine-like outgrowths on the epidermis of plants, serving various functions such as protection or reducing water loss.

Periderm (Bark)

The outer protective layer of woody stems and roots, made of cork cells and containing suberin, providing extra protection.

Suberin

A waxy, water-repelling substance found in the periderm (bark) and other plant tissues.

Phloem

Vascular tissue in plants that transports sugars and other food substances from leaves to other parts of the plant; composed of living cells with fibers for strength.

Xylem

Vascular tissue in plants that transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots upwards; composed of dead cells when mature and forms the woody part of plants.

Roots

Plant organs that typically grow underground, providing support and anchorage, and absorbing water and nutrients (especially through root hairs).

Adventitious Roots

Roots that arise from plant organs other than roots, such as stems or leaves, and are essential for some plant propagation methods.

Contractile Roots

Roots that shorten and pull bulbs or corms deeper into the soil.

Brace or Prop Roots

Roots that grow from the lower part of a stem to provide extra support (e.g., in corn).

Holdfasts (Vines)

Specialized root-like structures of vines that adhere to surfaces for climbing.

Tuberous Roots

Thickened and fleshy roots modified for food storage (e.g., sweet potato, dahlia).

Stems

Plant organs that support leaves, flowers, and fruits, and contain nodes and internodes, as well as buds.

Nodes

Points on a stem where leaves, buds, or branches originate.

Internodes

The segments of a stem located between two nodes.

Buds

Compressed, undeveloped stems, often covered by scales, that can develop into leaves, flowers, or branches.

Terminal Bud

A bud located at the very apex (tip) of a stem, responsible for apical growth.

Axillary (Lateral) Bud

A bud located in the axil, the angle formed between a leaf petiole and the stem.

Alternate Bud Arrangement

A pattern where one bud is present at each node along a stem.

Opposite Bud Arrangement

A pattern where two buds are present at each node, positioned directly across from each other.

Tubers (Modified Stem)

Modified underground stems that are thickened for food storage and possess 'eyes' (buds), such as potatoes.

Corms

Short, swollen, vertical underground stems that store food (e.g., gladiolus, crocus).

Bulbs

Modified underground stems consisting mostly of fleshy leaves that store food (e.g., onion, lily).

Tunicate Bulb

A type of bulb that has concentric layers of scales and a protective papery outer covering (e.g., onion).

Scaly Bulb

A type of bulb composed of loose, overlapping scales without a papery outer covering (e.g., lily).

Rhizomes

Horizontal underground stems that can produce new shoots and roots, enabling vegetative propagation.

Stolons/Runners

Horizontal stems that grow along the surface of the ground, producing new plantlets at their nodes (e.g., strawberry).

Crown (Plant)

The part of the perennial herbaceous plant stem near the soil surface, which can often be divided for propagation.

Spur (Fruit Trees)

A short, slow-growing stem on some fruit trees where flowers and fruit are produced.

Suckers

Shoots that arise from adventitious buds at the base of a tree or shrub.

Watersprouts

Vigorous, upright shoots that grow from latent buds in the canopy or on the trunk of a tree.