GLOSSARY

A root that grows from the stem of a plant above the surface of the ground.

Plantlike, mostly waterdwelling, organisms such as seaweed, which contain the green pigment chlorophyll.

The part of the flower’s stamen that produces pollen.

The tough outer layer of the roots, trunk, and branches of woody plants such as trees and shrubs.

A renewable fuel produced from plant matter, algae, or animal waste.

A tree or shrub grown in a pot and kept in miniature form by special pruning. Bonsai is also the name given to this type of pruning.

A specialized type of leaf. Bracts, sometimes brightly colored, help protect buds and flowers on some plants and can also serve to attract pollinators.

Underground fleshy leaves that store food for a plant.

A root that grows out from the trunk of a tree, giving it extra support.

An almost continuous layer of branches and leaves formed high above the ground by treetops.

A green pigment. Plants use the chlorophyll in their cells to harvest the energy in sunlight.

A leaf that is divided into two or more leaflets.

An evergreen tree or shrub that has needlelike leaves. All conifers bear cones.

A swollen, bulblike underground stem.

The first food-storing leaf, or pair of leaves, formed inside a seed.

Describes a plant that sheds its leaves each year at the end of a growing season.

A flowering plant that produces two seed leaves (cotyledons) when it first starts to grow.

In an inactive state. Many plants become dormant in the winter or in times of drought, remaining alive but shutting down to save energy.

A fleshy fruit, such as a plum or cherry, containing a single hard seed or stone.

A plant that keeps its leaves throughout the year.

The combination of a male cell from pollen and a female egg, which goes on to produce a young plant known as an embryo.

A small flower, usually one of many making up the head of a flower such as a daisy.

A long leaf that usually consists of smaller leaflets. They are seen in plants such as ferns and palms.

Microorganisms including mushrooms and toadstools. Fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants.

The process in which a seed starts to sprout and grow into a plant.

The process of cutting and gathering crops from the field when ripe.

A group of flowers on a single stem.

A grain or the inner part of a fruit, stone, or nut.

A root that extends sideways from a main root to anchor a plant more firmly in the soil.

One of the smaller leaflike parts of a compound leaf growing from the leaf stalk.

One of the tiny pores on a plant stem that helps in the exchange of gases between the plant and its environment.

An organism made up of a fungus and an alga, working together.

A flowering plant that produces just one seed leaf (cotyledon) when it starts to grow.

The sugary liquid produced by plants to attract pollinating animals.

A point on a stem from which leaves, shoots, branches, or flowers can grow.

Minerals used by a plant to fuel its growth.

The brightly colored parts of a flower that attract pollinating insects and birds to a plant.

The process by which a green plant uses the energy in sunlight to create food for itself from water in the soil and carbon dioxide in the air.

A living organism, from a moss to a tree, that produces its own food by photosynthesis.

A straight aerial root that extends upward through swampy soil, enabling a plant to exchange gases, or “breathe.”

The tiny powdery grains that contain the male reproductive cells, which combine with the female reproductive cells of a plant to make seeds.

The transfer of pollen grains from a male flower, or part of a flower, to the female parts of a flower, to fertilize the eggs so seeds can develop.

An animal, such as a bee, moth, or bird, that makes the fertilization of plants possible by moving pollen from flower to flower.

An underground stem that grows horizontally, putting out shoots and roots as it spreads.

A microscopic hairlike growth that extends from a root and increases the amount of water and nutrients that a plant can take in.

The juices in plant cells.

A small, leaflike flap, usually green, that surrounds and protects the petals of a flower.

The process in which a plant starts producing seeds after its flowers have been pollinated.

The male part of a flower that includes the pollen-producing anther.

The female part of a flower.

A plant that stores water in thickened, fleshy leaves or stems. Succulents include cacti.

A thick, central root that grows straight downward.

A threadlike, twining stalk that vine plants use to attach themselves to a supporting object.

A flap around flowers that functions as both a sepal and a petal.

A thick underground stem or root that some plants use for storing nutrients.

A plant that climbs or trails along the ground, supporting its stem with tendrils or by twining itself around a supporting object.