annual -plants which complete their life cycle , from germination to seed production and death, within one year.
anther- that part of the stamen(usually at its apex) inside which pollen is produced.
biennal - plants which complete their life cycle , from germination to seed production and death, within two years.
biodiversity - the total diversity of life on the planet including species, varieties within species, and the ecosystems they form part of.
compound leaf - a leaf which is divided into several leaflets, each of which is individually attached to the leaf axis.
compound-palmate - a palmate leaf made up of several separate leaflets.
compound-pinnate - a pinnate leaf made up of several separate leaflets.
endemic - species which occur naturally only in a defined geographical area, e.g. species found only in the Maltese Islands are said to be endemic to the Maltese Islands.
floret - a small individual flower from a compact inflorescence.
herbaceous - plants which do not form compact woody tissues.
indigenous - species which occur naturally in a defined geographical area and which have not been introduced by human intervention: also referred to as native.
infloresence - a shoot which is specialised to bear flowers.
leaflet - one of the leaf-like appendages of a compound leaf.
midrib - the central 'vein' of a pinnate leaf.
naturalised - an organism which, though of alien origin manages to run wild and establish self sustaining populations.
palmate - a leaf with several principal (or primary) veins all of which arise from the petiole.
perennial - plants which take more than two years to complete their life cycle.
petal - one of a group of floral parts which immediately surrounds the stamens.
petiole - a stalk subtending the leaf blade; leaf stalk.
pinnate - a leaf with a single principal (or primary) vein, the midrib, which has secondary veins branching out of it.
pinnatifid - pinnate leaves which are cut into lobes reaching roughly halfway to the midrib.
rhizome - horizontal, typically underground stem, which roots at the nodes, and typically bears terminal shoots: plants which spread by means of rhizomes are described as being rhizomatous
rosette - a group of leaves crowded around a short axis.
spikelet - one of the units of the inflorescence of a grass, consisting of one or more florets plus associated bracts.
stamen - the part of a flower which is designed to produce, carry and release pollen; typically consists of a stalk like portion, the filament which subtends the anther.
stigma - part of a flower, usually on top of the ovary, the function of which is to receive the pollen.
succulent - plant structures, mainly leaves and stems, which are fleshy due to the storage of water.
trifoliate - a compound leaf with three leaflets.
tuber - a swollen underground plant organ (root or stem) which is used for the storage of food.
vascular plant - a plant supplied with an internal system of tubes primarily as a means of transport for water, minerals and food produced by photosynthesis.