List of Plant Morphology Terms

What follows is a list of many of the key terms used in the field of plant morphology.

Reproduction

Asexual phase: The part of the life cycle of an organism that is dedicated to the process of asexual reproduction
Ovum: An egg cell
Mitosis: The division of the cell nucleus that occurs in eukaryotes that produces daughter cells with the same chromosome number that the original cell had
Crossing-over: Refers to the exchange of parts between two paired chromosomes during meiosis, resulting in new combinations of linked genes within the resulting haploid cells
Carpogonium: The organ of a gametophyte which houses the egg; these units are found in Rhodophyta
Sexual phase: The portion of an organism's life cycle that is devoted to the process of sexual reproduction

Physical Structure

Internode: Refers to the part of the steam that is between two nodes
Lignin: A polyphenolic substance that is chemically related to tannins and flavonoids, which forms a major part of the secondary cell wall of vascular plant cells
Enation: A projection of tissues from the stem
Mitochondrion: The intracellular organism that performs the process of oxidative respiration
Chlorophyll: The green, magnesium containing pigment that is found in all of the organisms that go through the process of photosynthesis
Colony: A group of cells, generally the asexual offspring of a single original cell, that do not show division of labor and that do not form a filament
Endodermis: A layer of cells surrounding the vascular tissue in the roots, steams, or the leaves of many seed plants. This part is the innermost layer of the cortex.
Stoma: An opening in the epidermis of a plant that is controlled by two guard cells
Guard cells: These types of cells open and close the stoma

Types of Organisms

Prokaryote: An organism that does not have membrane bound organelles, and that has its DNA organized in a single naked circular strand
Eukaryote: An organism that does have a membrane bound nucleus, as well as membrane bound intracellular organelles
Monocot: Members of this group are characterized by the fact that they only have one cotyledon
Monophylectic group: A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor, as well as all of its descendants
Unicellular: A term used to refer to organisms made up of one cell

Leaf Terms

Frond: Name for a leaf on a fern
Reticulate venation: An arrangement of leaf vascular bundles in a small network that generally occurs in Gnetophyta and dicot flowering plants
Axillary bud: A bud, also known as a meristem, that is found on a stem just above the attachment of the leaf: these are generally found in seed plants
Parallel venation: The arrangement of leaf vascular bundles along the axis of a leaf that is characteristic of monocot flowering plants
Fascicle: A group of needle leaves of pine or related conifers that are attached to a single lateral spur shoot

Other Important Terms

Carbonization: A type of fossilization where all that remains of the original structure is the carbon
Parsimony: The idea that the simplest explanation, the one that requires the fewest hypothesis, is the one that is most likely to be correct
Sporangium: A unicellular or multicellular container into which spores come into existence
Unaltered fossils: Fossils that retain much of their original structural and chemical forms
Xeric: Meaning dry, a term that is used to describe the features of plants or the places in which they grow
Autotrophic: The ability to synthesize high energy carbon compounds from inorganic raw materials using energy from sunlight or from certain inorganic chemical reactions

Now you have a basic understanding of not only some of the key terms and definitions associated with the field of plant morphology, but also of the important sections of the discipline. The list and definitions are courtesy of Cal Poly Pomona. Expand your research into the specific areas that really catch your interest.