Week 1 Vocab Flashcards
Kingdom we’re studying in
Plantae
Gymnosperms (one Division of seed-bearing plants) -
- definition
- species examples
- distinct attributes from Angiosperms
- Definition: “naked seed”
- Examples: ginkos, conifers
- Fertilization happens by wind carrying pollen to the female egg/ovule.
- Seed stays open to the air during all its stages of development
Angiosperms (one Division of seed-bearing plants) -
- definition
- plant examples
- distinct attributes from Gymnosperms
- Definition: “enclosed seed”
- Examples: most plants! Those that flower.
- Seed fertilization can happen through several means: wind, insects, birds
- Seed enclosed in an ovary
Similarity between Gymnosperms and Angiosperms
Reproduce by the mating of male and female parts to form a seed
Primary difference between Gymnosperms and Angiosperms
How the seeds are protected
Division we’re primarily studying
Angiosperms
Angiosperms - Monocots (attributes)
- One seed leaf
- Parallel veins in leaves
- Horizontal rootstalks
- Floral parts in 3’s
Angiosperms - Dicots (attributes)
- Two seed leaves
- Netted veins in leaves
- Tap roots
- Floral parts in 4’s and 5’s
Examples of Monocots
- Grasses and grass-likes
- Lilies
- Orchids
- Some aquatic plants
Examples of Dicots
Most flowering families
Hierarchical Classification path in this course
Plants (Plantae) - Kindgom
Vascular Plants (Tracheaobionta) - Subkingdom
Seed Plants (Spermatophyta) - Superdivision
Angiosperms (Magnoliophyta), Gymnosperms (some) - Divisions
Monocots (Lilopsida), Dicots - Classes of Angiosperms
(Won’t worry about Subclasses and Orders)
Families - Many
Subfamilies/Tribes - Many
What is a Subspecies?
A population of plants with marked differences from the parent Species, that it passes down to its offspring, but the distinct attributes are not different enough to make it a distinct species.
What is a Variety?
Sometimes equivalent to Subspecies, sometimes listed as lower/under Subspecies. Otherwise, the same basic principle as Subspecies.
What is a Cultivar?
Man-made varieties, deliberately reproduced by us to emphasize certain desirable properties: color, disease resistance, elevation tolerance, etc. Now seeing some distinct species created via DNA manipulation.
Plural of “genus”
Genera
Plural of “species”
Species
Plural of sp. (species abbreviation)
spp.
What is a species?
Used to define a species as a distinct population of plants that have common attributes and cannot interbreed with other species. This isn’t always the case, however, and plants are the most notorious for cross-breeding.
What is a hybrid?
When species do cross-breed, the offspring are referred to as “hybrids”. Often they are infertile offspring (such as a mule), but sometimes they do have viable offspring.
Plant Database authority for this class
NRCS Plant Database
What are “Diagnostic Characteristics”?
Plant attributes used in plant identification
What are “life forms”?
Types of plants like trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous plants.
Definition of a “woody plant”
Have at least a wooden stem
Definition of “tree”
Plants with:
- a persistent woody stem
- that comes out of the ground as a single stalk
- and grows under normal conditions to a height of 15-20’.
Definition of “shrub”
Plants with:
- persistent woody stems
- but often have two or more stems coming out of the ground or branch into multiple stems near the ground level
- and usually grow up to a height of about 15’.
Definition of “herbacious plants”
Plants lack a woody stem, such as grasses, forbs, and grass-likes.
Ditty to remember differences between sedges, rushes, and grasses
“Sedges have edges, rushes are round, and grasses have nodes that are easily found.” (most of the time, but not always)
Stem characteristics used for identification
- Number
- Branching pattern
- Color/texture of bark
- Leaf location (opposite/alternate)
- Prickles/spines/etc.
- Hairs
Glandular
Has glands
Bidentate
Has 2 teeth
Trifoliate
Has 3 leaves
Glabrous
Without hairs
Pubescent
Covered with short, soft hairs
Genticulate
Bent abruptly (like knees)
Root characteristics used for identification
Tap root, horizontal rootstalks(, rhizomes/stolons)
Twig characteristics used for identification
- Opposite/alternate
- Presence/type of hairs
- Nature/color of bark
- Glabrous/glaucous
- Lenticels/glands
Glaucous
Waxy coating that easily rubs off
Leaf characteristics used for identification
- Opposite/alternate
- Margins
- Venation
- Simple/compound
- Presence/type of hairs
- Dorsal/ventral
- Thickness/texture
(Leaf size/length is NOT a distinguishing feature)
What side of a leaf is the dorsal side?
The top
What side of a leaf is the ventral side?
The bottom
What is a bract?
Modified leaves, located under the flowers
Perianth
The “floral envelope”, consisting of calyx and corolla
Sepal
A member of the calyx practs, usually green and subtending the petals
Calyx
The sepals of a flower considered collectively, usually green bracts
Petal
A part or member of the corolla, usually brightly colored
Corolla
All of the petals considered collectively
Stamen
The pollen-producing structure of a flower; typically an anther borne at the apex of a filament
Filament
The stalk of a stamen supporting the anther
Anther
The part of the stamen in which pollen develops
Pistil
The female reproductive organ of the flower, consisting of:
- stigma
- style
- ovary
Stigma
The apical portion of the pistil that receives the pollen
Style
The slender, elongated portion of the pistil which bears the stigma at its apex
Ovary
The expanded basal part of the pistil that contains the ovules
Pedicel
The stalk of a spikelet or single flower in an inflorescence
Peduncle
The stalk of a flower cluster or spikelet cluster
Ray flower
Flowers on the outer edge of a head, resembling petals
Disk flower
Flowers on the disk portion of a head
Perfect flower
Flowers with both functional stamens and pistil; bisexual
Imperfect flower
Flowers with only stamens or pistils but not both, unisexual
Monoecious plants
Plants with male and female flowers at different locations on the same plant; all flowers unisexual
Dioecious plants
Unisex flowers on different plants; pistillate and staminate flowers on separate plants
Regular flowers
All petals and sepals are the same on a flower
Irregular flowers
Petals consist of different structures/take different forms on the same flower
Annual
Plants that do not live more than one year; grow from seed
Biennial
Plants that live 2 years; grow vegetatively the first year, then flower and set seed the 2nd year
Perennial
Plants that live more than 2 years
Browsing
Consuming portions of woody plants
Grazing
Consuming growing and/or standing grasses or forbs
Decreaser
A native plant that responds to grazing by decreasing in density, become a smaller proportion of the overall plant community, usually because it is a favored species, weaken their ability to grow and compete for nutrients/sunlight/water or kill them outright
Increaser
A native plants that responds to grazing by increasing in density, become a larger proportion of the overall plant community, usually because it is an unfavored species, and resulting increased competitiveness with decreasers
Invader
A non-native/introduced species either deliberately or not; become established in a community due to competitive advantage or natives being weakened due to overgrazing or other reasons
(a plant’s relationship to the native plant community)
Cool season grass
Category of grasses that:
- grow in northern regions
- begin/renew growth in early spring
- go dormant in summer/hot weather
- may regrow in fall (if sufficient moisture)
- go dormant over winter (or die if annual)
Warm season grass
Category of grasses that:
- grow in southern regions
- begin/renew growth late in spring or summer
- grow through fall
- dormant in winter (or die if annual)
Auricle
Ear-shaped lobes, such as at the base of leaf blades of some grasses
Awn
The extension of a vein beyond the leaf-like tissue
Crown
The persistent base of a herbaceous perennial
Culm
The hollow or pithy jointed stem or stalk of a grass, sedge, or rush
Floret
Lemma and palea with included flower of the Poaceae; disk flowers of the Asteraceae
Glumes
The pair of bracts at the base of a spikelet in grasses
Inflorescence
The arrangement of flowers on an axis subtended by a leaf or portion thereof
Internode
The part of a stem between two successive nodes
Lemma
Abaxial bract of the floret that subtends the grass flower and palea
Ligule
In Poaceae and some Cyperaceae, the appendage, membrane, or ring of hairs on the adaxial side of a leaf at the junction of the sheath and blade; in Asteraceae, the strap-shaped corolla of a ray flower
Node
Joints along a stem where leaves are borne; a joint in a stem or inflorescence
Leaf sheath
The lower part of a leaf that encloses the stem
Leaf blade
The part of the leaf above the sheath, petiole, or petiolule
Rhizome
An underground stem with nodes, scale-like leaves, and short internodes
Spikelet
The unit of inflorescence in grasses usually consisting of two glumes, one or more florets, and a rachilla
Stem
The portion of the plant bearing nodes, internodes, leaves, and buds
Stolon
A horizontal, above-ground, modified propagating stem with nodes, internodes, and leaves
Tiller
A shoot from an adventitious bud at the base of a plant
Native species
Evolved in the location where found
Introduced species
Non-native species, whether intentional or unintentional
Naturalized species
Non-native species that have become ubiquitous
Rachis
The axis of a spike, spicate raceme, or raceme inflorescence or pinnately compound leaf
Rachilla
A small axis; applied especially to the axis of a spikelet
