Terms

Terms are tricky but explaining them in each article is time consuming
These have come from Complete Herbal website

Achene: A small, dry fruit that contains one loose seed and that does not split open spontaneously For example: sunflower seed

Acuminate: Tapering gradually to a point at the apex.

Acute: Coming sharply to a point at the apex.

Alternate: Arranged singly at different points along a stem or axis.

Annual: A plant which grows from a seed, flowers, sets seed and dies in one year.

Apex: The tip.

Appressed: Pressed flat or close up against something.

Aril: An outer covering or appendage of some seeds.

Ascending: Rising upward gradually from a prostrate base.

Awn: A bristle characteristic of the spikelets in some grasses.

Axil: The more-or-less V-shaped angle made by the junction between a leaf and a stem or twig.

Axillary: Growing from an axil.

Basal rosette: Leaves radiating directly from the crown of the root.

Berry: A stoneless, pulpy fruit containing one or more embedded seeds (e.g. grape).

Biennial: A plant which forms leaves in the first year, produces a flowering shoot in the second year, flowers, sets seed and dies.

Bilabiate: Two-lipped.

Bipinnate: Pinnate, with pinnate leaflets.

Blade: The broad, thin part of a leaf or petal.

Bloom: A powdery, whitish coating on leaves, stems, or fruit.

Bracts: The leaflike structures of a grouping or arrangement of flowers (inflorescence). A green leaf-like structure which has a flower in its axil, and which may remain on the plant with the fruit. Bracts vary enormously in size, shape and function.

Bud: A protuberance on a stem, from which a flower, leaf or shoot develops.

Calyx: The sepals collectively; the external floral envelope, usually consisting of layered, fleshy leaves and membranes.

Capsule: A dry, many-seeded, spontaneously splitting fruit that arises from a compound pistil.

Carpel: The wall of a simple pistil, or part of a wall of a compound pistil.

Catkin: A drooping spike of small flowers characteristic of some deciduous trees. Male catkins produce pollen; female catkins are pollinated and then develop into fruiting catkins which bear seeds. A spike-like flower cluster that bears scaly bracts and petal-less, unisexual flowers.

Cauline: Relating to or growing on a stem.

Clasping: Partly or completely surrounding the stem.

C law: The narrow, curved base of a petal or sepal in some flowers.

Compound: Made up of two or more definable parts.

Compound pistil: A pistil made up of two or more partially or completely united carpels.

Cone: A rounded, more or less elongated cluster of fruits or flowers covered with scales or bracts.

Corm: A bulblike but solid, fleshy underground stem base.

Corolla: The petals of a flower, which may be separate or joined in varying degrees.

Corymb: A generally flat-topped flower cluster with pedicels varying in length, the outer flowers opening first.

Creeper: A shoot that grows along the ground, rooting all along its length.

Crenate: Having rounded teeth along the margin.

Culm: The hollow stem of grasses and bamboos.

Cyme: A branching, relatively flat-topped flower cluster whose central or terminal flower opens first, forcing development of further flowers from lateral buds.

Deciduous: Falling off each season (as leaves); bearing deciduous parts (as trees).

Decompound: Divided several or many times; compound with further subdivisions.

Decumbent: Lying on the ground but having an ascending tip.

Decurrent: Descriptive of leaves whose edges run down onto the stem.

Dentate: Sharply toothed, with the teeth pointing straight out from the margin.

Digitate: Compound, with the elements growing from a single point.

Dilated: Expanded, broadened, flaring.

Disk flower: One of the tubular flowers or florets in the center of the flower head of a composite flower such as the daisy.

Dissected: Cut into fine segments.

Double: Descriptive of flowers that have more petals than normal.

Doubly serrate: Serrate, with small teeth on the margins of the larger ones.

Drupe: A fleshy fruit containing a single seed in a hard stone (e.g. Peach). E

Entire: Having no teeth or indentations.

Evergreen: Retaining green foliage for more than one season. F

Filiform: Threadlike.

Floret: A very small flower, especially one of the disk flowers of plants in the composite family.

Frond: The leaf of a fern.

F ruits: The seed bearing part of a plant. Different kinds of fruits include: Berry: a juicy fruit which usually contains several seeds. Capsule: a dry or fleshy fruit which splits open to release the seeds. Nutlet: a hard dry fruit containing a single seed. Pod: a long dry fruit, usually containing several large seeds, which splits open along one or both seams to release the seeds.

Funnelform: Descriptive of a flower whose corolla tube widens gradually and uniformly from the base. G

Galea: The hooded portion of the perianth in some irregular or bilabiate flowers.

Galeated: Helmeted; having a helmetlike part, as a crest, a flower, etc.; helmet-shaped

Gemma (pl. gemmae): A young bud from which plants vegetatively reproduce.

Geniculated: Abruptly bent.

Gibbous: Swollen on one side.

Glabrous: Not hairy.

Glandular: Having glands, which secrete sticky substances.

Glaucous: Covered with a fine, white, often waxy film, which rubs off.

Globose: Approximately spherical.

Grain: Achene-like fruit, but with the seed not loose. H

Head: A flower spike or raceme shortened to form a compact, flattened to globose cluster.

Herb: A plant that has no woody tissue and that dies down to the ground at the end of a growing season.

Herbaceous: Non-woody, herb-like.

Hesperidium: A partitioned berry with a leathery, removable rind (e.g. Orange).

Hoary: Closely covered with short and fine whitish hairs. I

Incised: Sharply and irregularly slashed or cut.

Indigenous: Native; naturally occurring.

Inflorescence: Technically, the way flowers are arranged in a cluster; generally, a flower cluster.

Internode: The part of a stem or branch between nodes.

Interrupted: Descriptive of a structure, the pattern or sequence of whose elements is broken by the insertion of other elements. J K L

Lanceolate: Widening to a maximum near the base and tapering to a point at the apex.

Lateral: Occurring on or growing from the side (compare terminal).

Leaf: A vegetative organ which, when complete, consists of a flat blade, a petiole or stalk, and (usually two) small leafy appendages at the base of the petiole.

Leaflet: A division or part of a compound leaf.

Legume: A one-celled fruit that splits along two sutures or seams (e.g. pea).

Liana: A vigorous woody vine (usually refers to tropical vines).

Linear: Long and narrow, with nearly parallel sides.

Lip: One of the parts in a corolla or calyx divided into two unequal parts.

Lobe: A part of division, especially when rounded, of an organ.

Lyrate: Lobed to resemble a lyre, with the terminal lobe largest and the lower lobes smaller. M N

Node: A point on a stem at which leaves are produced.

Nut: A hard-walled, one-seeded fruit that does not split spontaneously (e.g. hazelnut). O

Ob-: A prefix that indicates reversal of the usual orientation (e.g. oblanceolate means widening gradually from the pointed base to a maximum near the apex, which may be more or less rounded).

Oblong: Longer than wide and rounded at the ends, with nearly parallel sides for much of the length.

Obovate: oval, but broader toward the apex; refers to leaf shape.

Obtuse: Rounded or blunt.

Opposite: Growing two to a node on opposite sides.

Orbicular: Circular or approximately round.

Oval: Broadly elliptical.

Ovate: Oval, but broader toward the base; egg-shaped.

Ovoid: Another term for Ovate (above). P

Palmate: With 3 or more leaflets, nerves, or lobes radiating from a central point; compounded, divided, lobed, or ribbed so that the divisions or ribs spread out like fingers from a single point.

Panicle: A branching flower grouping, with branches that are usually racemes.

Papilionaceous: Descriptive of a flower whose petals are arranged to resemble a butterfly.

Pedicel: The stalk of one flower in a cluster.

Peduncle: The stalk of a flower cluster or of a solitary flower.

Peltate: Having a stalk attached at or near the middle.

Perennial: A plant which lives from year to year, starting into growth again each spring. Some perennial plants are herbaceous and dies down each year, remaining dormant beneath the ground throughout the winter. Others are trees or shrubs; some lose their leaves in winter (deciduous trees), while others retain their leaves throughout the year and their growth slows down in winter (evergreen trees).

Perfect (flower): A flower that has a full complement of male and female parts as well as floral envelopes (petals and sepals).

Perfoliate: A leaf that appears to be perforated by the stem.

Persistent: Remaining on the plant; not falling off readily.

Petal: One unit of the corolla.

Petiole: The stalk of a leaf.

Pinna: Plural pinnae; a leaflet or primary division of a pinnately compound leaf.

Pinnate: A featherlike arrangement; usually refers to a compound leaf with leaflets arranged on each side of a central axis.

Pinnatifid: Split about halfway to the midrib, such that the divisions are pinnately arranged.

Pinnule: One of the divisions of a pinnate leaflet in a bi-pinnate leaf.

Pistil: The female reproduction organ of a flower.

Pod: Generally, a dry fruit that splits open.

Pome: A fleshy fruit with a central seed-bearing core (e.g. apple).

Procumbent: Growing along the ground without rooting, and having ascending tips.

Prostrate: Growing flat along the ground.

Pubescent: Covered with down or soft, short hairs.

Punctate: Having translucent spots or depressions.

Raceme: An unbranched, elongated flower grouping, with individual flowers on distinct stalks. Q R

Rays (ray flowers): The straplike, often sterile flowers (commonly called petals) surrounding the flowerhead (disk) off a plant in the composite family. (Examples: the yellow rays of sunflowers, or the purple rays surrounding the cone of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea).

Receptacle: The end of the stem or stalk on which the flower parts are borne.

Rhizome: A perennial creeping underground portion of a stem which may look like a root; producing shoots on top and roots beneath; different from a root in that it has buds, nodes, and scaly leaves; rootstock.

Rootstock: Rhizome.

Rosette (basal): Leaves radiating directly from the crown of the root.

Runner: A thin stem or shoot growing along the ground and producing roots at the nodes. S

Sagittate: Resembling an arrowhead in shape.

Samara: A winged fruit that does not split spontaneously (e.g. maple).

Saprophytic: A plant (usually lacking chlorophyll) that lives on dead organic matter.

Scale: A small, usually dry leaf that is closely pressed against another organ.

Scape: A leafless flower stalk that grows from the ground.

Sepal: The individual divisions of the calyx (outer floral envelope).

Serrate: Saw-toothed, with the teeth pointing toward the apex.

Sessile: Lacking a stalk, such as a leaf or flower with no obvious stalk.

Sheath: An expanded or tubular structure that partially encloses a stem or other organ.

Shoot: A new young growth; a stem or branch and its leaves.

Shrub: A woody plant that produces no trunk but branches from the base.

Silique: A term applied to the peculiar seedpod structure of plants in the mustard family.

Simple: Not compound (leaves) or branched (stems, flower clusters).

Smooth: Not rough (compare glabrous).

Solitary: Not growing as part of a cluster or group.

Spadix: A thick, fleshy flower spike (usually enveloped by a spathe), as in members of the arum family (Skunk Cabbage, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Dragon Arum, etc.).

Spathe: A modified, leaflike structure surrounding a spadix, as in members of the Arum family (Skunk Cabbage, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Dragon Arum, etc.).

Spatulate: Shaped like a spoon, with a narrow end at the base.

Spike (flower): An unbranched, elongated flower grouping in which the individual flowers are sessile (attached without stalks).

Spikelet: A small spike, particularly one of the few-flowered spikes making up the inflorescence of a grass.

Spore: A one-celled reproductive body produced by relatively primitive plants.

Spur: A slender, hollow projection from a petal or sepal.

Stamen: The pollen-bearing anthers with attached filaments (sometimes without filaments); the male organ of a flower.

Stipule: Appendages (resembling small or minute leaves) at the base of leaves of certain plants.

Strobile: A cone or conelike structure.

Style: The slender, elongated part of a pistil.

Subshrub: Somewhat or slightly shrublike; usually a plant with a stem that is woody at the base, but mostly herbaceous.

Suture: A natural seam or groove along which a fruit splits. T

Taproot: A single main root that grows vertically into the ground.

Tendrils: A modified leaf or branch structure, often coiled like a spring, used for clinging in plants that climb.

Terminal: Occurring at or growing from the end opposite the base (compare lateral).

T ernate: Occurring in threes or divided into three parts.

Trifoliate: Having three leaves.

Trifoliolate: Having three leaflets.

Tripinnate: Descriptive of a pinnate leaf having pinnate leaflets with pinnate pinnules.

Tuber: A swollen root or underground stem or rootstock, which forms a food store for the plant. U

Umbel: A flower grouping with individual flower stalks or floral groupings radiating from a central axis; often flat-topped and umbrella-like. V

Valve: One of the parts into which a capsule divides when splitting. W

Whorl: A circular arrangement of three or more leaves, flowers, or other parts at the same point or level.

names of Native Trees

from Terrian

Maori name	Botanical name
aka	Metrosideros fulgens
akakiore/kaiku/kaikuku	Parsonsia capsularis
akakura	Metrosideros carminea
akapuka/puka	Griselinia lucida
akatawhiwhi	Metrosideros fulgens
akatea	Metrosideros albiflora
akeake	Dodonaea viscosa
akeake	Olearia avicenniaefolia
akeake	Olearia traversii
akepiro	Olearia furfuracea
akiraho	Olearia paniculata
arorangi	Olearia macrodonta
ewekuri	Paratrophis banksii
haekaro	Pittosporum umbellatum
hakeke	Olearia ilicifolia
hangatare	Olearia semidentata
hangehange	Geniostoma ligustrifolium
harakeke	Phormium tenax
haumakaroa	Neopanax or Pseudopanax simplex
haumangaroa	Pseudopanax edgerleyi
heketara	Olearia rani
hinau	Elaeocarpus dentatus
hoho	Pseudopana x chathamicum
horoeka	Pseudopana x crassifolium
horokaka	Disphyma australe
horopito	Pseudowintera axillaris
horopito	Pseudowintera colorata
houhere	Hoheria populnea
houhi	Hoheria glabrata
houhi puruhi	Hoheria angustifolia
houmapara	Pseudopanax lessonii
houpara/parapara	Pseudopanax lessonii
hungere	Hoheria angustifolia
huperei	Gastrodia cunninghamii
hupiro	Coprosma foetidissima
hutu	Ascarina lucida
inanga	Dracophyllum longifolium
kahikatea	Podocarpus/Dacrycarpusdacrydioides
kaihua	Parsonsia heterophylla
kaikawaka/pahautea/	Libocedrus bidwillii
kaikomako	Pennantia corymbosa
kaiku/akakiore/kaikuku	Parsonsia capsularis
kaikuku/akakiore/kaiku/	Parsonsia capsularis
kaiweta/mahoewao	Melicytus lanceolatus
kaiwhiria	Parsonsia capsularis
kamahi	Weinmannia racemosa
kanono	Coprosma australis
kanuka	Leptospermum ericoides
Kapuka	Griselinia littoralis
Karaka	Corynocarpus laevigatus
Karamu	Coprosma robusta
karangu	Coprosma lucida
karapapa	Alseuosmia macrophylla
karo	Pittosporum crassifolium
kauri	Agathis australis
kawaka	Libocedrus plumosa
kawakawa	Macropiper excelsum
keketerehe	Olearia chathamica
kiekie	Freycinetia banksii
kiokio	Blechnum capense
kiwakiwa	Blechnum fluviatile
kohekohe	Dysoxylum spectabile
kohia	Tetrapathaea tetranda
kohuhu	Pittosporum tenuifolium
kohurangi	Senecio kirkii
kokohurangi	Senecio kirkii
kokomuka	Hebe elliptica
kokomuka taranga	Hebe parviflora
konini/kotukutuku	Fuchsia excorticata
kopukapuka	Myosotidium hortensia
korau/mamaku	Cyathea medullaris
korokio	Corokia cotoneaster
korokio taranga	Corokia buddleioides
koromiko	Hebe salicifolia
koromiko	Hebe stricta
koru	Colensoa/Pratiaphysaloides
kowhai	Sophora microphylla
kowhai	Sophora tetraptera
kowhai-ngutukaka	Clianthus puniceus
kumarahou	Pomaderris kumeraho
kurikuri	Aciphylla squarrosa
mahoe	Melicytus ramiflorus
mahoewao/kai-weta	Melicytus lanceolatus
maire	Gymnelaea (or Nestegis) cunninghamii
maire	Gymnelaea (or Nestegis) lanceolata
mairehau	Phebalium nudum
mairehau mairehau,	Leionema nudum
mairehau mairehau, māireire	Phebalium nudum
māireire	Leionema nudum
makaka	Plagianthus divaricatus
makamaka	Ackama rosaefolia
makomako	Aristotelia serrata
mamaku/korau	Cyathea medullaris
manakura	Melicytus micranthus
manatu	Plagianthus betulinus
mangeao	Litsea calicaris
manuka	Leptospermum scoparium
mapou/matipou	Myrsine australis
matai	Podocarpus spicatus
matata	Rhabdothamnus solandri
matipo	Myrsine salicina
matipou/mapou	Myrsine salicina
mingimingi/taumingi	Cyathodes juniperina
miro	Podocarpus ferrugineus
monoao	Dacrydium kirkii
napuka/titirangi	Hebe speciosa
neinei	Dracophyllum latifolium
neinei	Dracophyllum traversii
ngaio	Myoporum laetum
nikau	Rhopalostylis sapida
niniwa	Gaultheria oppositifolia
orooro	Gymnelaea (or Nestegis) montana
pahautea/kaikawaka	Libocedrus bidwillii
parapara	Heimerliodendron brunonianum
parapara/parapara	Pseudopanax lessonii
pate	Schefflera digitata
patete	Schefflera digitata
poataniwha	Melicope simplex
pohutukawa	Metrosideros excelsa
ponga	Cyathea dealbata
porakaiwhiri	Hedycarya arborea
poroporo	Solanum aviculare
poroporo	Solanum laciniatum
puawhananga	Clematis paniculata
puheretaiko	Senecio reinoldii
puka/akapuka	Griselinia lucida
puka/pukanui	Meryta sinclairii
pukanui/puka	Meryta sinclairii
pukapuka/rangiora	Brachyglottis repanda
pukatea	Laurelia novae-zelandiae
puriri	Vitex lucens
putaputaweta	Carpodetus serratus
ramarama	Lophomyrtus bullata
rangiora/pukapuka	Brachyglottis repanda
rata	Metrosideros robusta
rata	Metrosideros umbellata
rauhuia	Linum monogynum
raukawa/haumangaroa	Pseudopanax edgerleyi
raukumara	Senecio perdicioides
rautawhiri	Pittosporum colensoi
rautini	Senecio huntii
rewarewa	Knightia excelsa
rimu	Dacrydium cupressinum
rohutu	Lophomyrtus obcordata
tainoka	Carmichaelia cunninghamii
tainui	Pomaderris apetala
tamingi	Epacris pauciflora
tanekaha	Phyllocladus trichomanoides
tanguru	Olearia albida
tarairi	Beilschmiedia taraire
taranga	Pimelea longifolia
tarata	Pittosporum eugenioides
tataramoa	Rubus cissoides
taumingi/mingimingi	Cyathodes juniperina
taupata	Coprosma repens
taurepo	Rhabdothamnus solandri
tawa	Beilschmiedia tawa
tawari	Ixerba brexioides
tawheowheo	Quintinia serrata
tawhero/towai	Weinmannia silvicola
tawhirikaro &nbsnbsp	Pittosporum cornifolium
tete-a-weka	Olearia angustifolia
ti	Cordyline
ti-kauka	Cordyline australis
ti-ngahere	Cordyline banksii
ti-rauriki	Cordyline pumilio
titirangi/napuka	Hebe speciosa
titoki	Alectryon excelsus
toatoa	Phyllocladus alpinus
toatoa	Phyllocladus glaucus
toii	Cordyline indivisa
toro	Myrsine salicina
toru	Persoonia toru
totara	Podocarpus totara
totorowhiti	Dracophyllum strictum
towai/tawhero	Weinmannia silvicola
tupare	Olearia colensoi
turepo	Paratrophis microphylla
waiuatua/matata	Rhabdothamnus solandri
whakataka	Corokia macrocarpa
wharangi	Melicope ternata
wharariki	Phormium cookianum
whau	Entelea arborescens
whauwhaupaku	Neopanax or Pseudopanax arboreum
whauwhi	Hoheria lyallii
whe	Cyathea smithii
wheki	Dicksonia squarrosa
wheki-ponga	Dicksonia fibrosa