Glossary of Marine Vegetation Terms

 

Term Definition
alga (pl. algae)

A plant with no vascular tissues, flowers or seeds and that reproduces by spores.

axil

The angle between a two structures.

bladder

A small air-filled sac.

blade

A leaf-like structure in algae. Also called a frond.

cystocarp

A swollen reproductive structure on female red algae.

dichotomous

Repeatedly branching into pairs.

drupe

A fruit with a fleshy (or fibrous as in coconuts) outer part that surrounds a hard shell with only 1 seed inside. e.g. peaches, plums, cherries, walnuts, almonds, pecans, coconuts, olives.

drupelet

An individual of an aggregate fruit that is composed of small, individual drupes. e.g. blackberries, raspberries.

emergent vegetation

A plant with most or all of its vegetative growth above water, which can tolerate flooded soil conditions but cannot tolerate extended periods of submersion.

flower

The reproductive structure of a plant that is enclosed in an outer envelope of petals and sepals

fruit

The spore-containing structure on a plant that does not produces seeds or the ripened seed-bearing structure (ovary) on a plant that produces seeds.

holdfast

A root-like structure or disk that algae used to attach to hard surfaces.

inflorescence

The complete flower head of a plant, including stems, stalks and flowers; the arrangement of flowers on a plant.

joint

The part of a stem from which a leaf or branch grows (node) or the section on a stem between 2 joints (internode). Joints may be delineated by distinct discontinuities in the stem such as the narrowing of the stem.

leaflet

Smaller leaves branching off the main leaf.

leaf

Flattened, needle-like or succulent outgrowth on the stem of a vascular plant.

legume

A dry fruit that produces multiple seeds and has a coating (pod) that splits in half along 2 seams. Also the seeds of the fruit. e.g. peas, beans, peanuts, alfalfa, clover, lentils, soybeans.

node

The part of the stem of a plant from which a leaf, branch, or root grows.

nut (true)

A fruit that is surrounded by a hard shell (that does not open at maturity) and produces only 1 seed (rarely 2). e.g. acorn, chestnut, hazelnut, beechnut, filbert. What nuts are not nuts?

peltate

Refers to a flat shield-shaped leaf or other structure in which the stalk is attach to the underside near its center, not to its margin. or base..

petiole

The stalk of a leaf.

pinnate

An arrangement of leaflets or branchlets on each side of a stem, usually in opposite pairs.

pistil

The female reproductive part (ovary) of a plant; found in the center of a flower, it can be of various shapes.

pneumatophore

A short aerial root of a plant that specializes in the intake of oxygen from the atmosphere.

rhizome

A thick, horizontal (usually) ground stem of a plant, that grows close to or under the ground.

root

A part of a plant that lacks buds, leaves, or nodes, is usually underground, that draws water and minerals from the surrounding substrate.

scale

Small, scale-like leaves that can be tightly pressed to the stem.

seagrass

A submerged marine flowering plant the roots and grows in high saline waters.

seaweed

A large marine plant that is easily seen with the naked eye. Includes seagrasses and some marine algae.

seed

A small structure produced by a plant that contains the plant's embryo and is capable of producing a new plant.

serrated

Sawtoothed.

sheath

An enveloping tubular structure, such as the lower part of a leaf, that surrounds the stem.

shoot

The 1st aerial part of a plant to develop from a seed; Also, a bud, young leaf, or other new growth on a plant.

stalk

A stem.

stamen

The male reproductive parts of a flower; one of several filaments inside the petals of a flower, surrounding the center, that contains pollen at its tip.

stem

The main axis of a plant which supports leaves and flowers .

stipe

A stalk or stem of a seaweed that supports the thallus (plant body); Also applies to fungi or fern fronds.

succulent

Having thick, fleshy, leaves, or stems, which are used to store water.

thallus (pl. thalli)

A plant body that is not differentiated into leaves, stems and roots. Examples are algae, fungi, lichens, and some liverworts.

whorl

A spiral or radial arrangement of leaves or petals originating from 1 node.