B
- bark
- the protective external layer of tissue on the stems and roots of trees and shrubs; includes all of the living and non-living tissue external to the cambium.
- basal
- at the base, situated or attached at the base.
- basifixed
- something attached by its base; e.g. an anther attached to the filament.
- basipetal
- developing sequentially from the apex towards the base (i.e. with the youngest towards the base); e.g. of flowers in an inflorescence. Also, moving from leaves to roots, e.g. of molecular signals in plants.
- bathyphyll
- a specialized leaf that is produced at the base of a plant, usually when the plant is immature, and which serves to anchor the plant to a substrate; especially notable in the fern Teratophyllum. (compare: acrophyll).
- beak
- a pointed projection.
- berry
- an indehiscent fruit, with the seeds immersed in the pulp, for instance tomato.
- biennial
- plant which completes its life cycle and dies within the second year; usually also forms a basal rosette of leaves the first year and flowers and fruits the second year.
- bifid
- forked; cut in two for about half its length.
- bifoliate
- having 2 leaflets (referring to a compound leaf).
- bilabiate
- having two lips; e.g. the form of the petals in many irregular flowers.
- bilateral
- arranged on opposite sides; e.g. leaves on a stem.
- binomial
- making use of names consisting of two words to form the scientific name (or combination) in a Latin form. For example, where the first is the name of the genus to which the species belongs, and the second is the epithet given to that species to distinguish it from others in the same genus.
- binomial nomenclature
- the system of nomenclature in which the scientific name of a species (and not of a taxon at any other rank) is a combination of two names, the first name being the generic name. The second name is referred to botanically as the specific epithet. Note that the two names constitute the species name, not just the second word.
- bipinnate
- twice pinnate; for example of a compound leaf with individual leaflets pinnately divided.
- bipinnatisect
- a pinnatisect leaf with deeply dissected segments.
- bisexual
- bearing both male and female reproductive organs; usually, flowers with both stamens and carpels; hermaphrodite. See Sexual reproduction in plants.
- bitegmic
- (of an ovule), covered by two integuments.
- bole
- the trunk of a tree, usually below the lowest branch; cf. canopy.
- blade
- the lamina or flattened part of a leaf, excluding the stalk.
- bloom
- a fine white or bluish waxy powder occurring on plant parts, usually stems, leaves and fruits. It is easily removed by rubbing.
- bract
- modified leaf associated with flower or inflorescence, differing in shape, size or colour from other leaves (and without an axillary bud).
- bracteole
- small bracts borne singly or in pairs on the pedicel or calyx.
- branchlet
- a small branch.
- bristle
- (adjective: bristly) straight stiff hair (smooth or with minute teeth) or upper part of an awn (when the latter is bent and has a lower, stouter, and usually twisted part, called the column).
- bryophyte
- a botanical group including mosses and liverworts. Technically a classification of plants including three classes: hornworts (Anthocerotae), liverworts (Hepaticae) and mosses (Musci).
- bulb
- thick storage organ, usually underground, consisting of a stem and leaf bases (the inner ones fleshy).
- bulbel
- a bulb arising from another bulb.
- bulbil
- small deciduous bulb or tuber formed in the axil of a leaf or pinna; a means of vegetative propagation.
- bulblet
- a bulb arising from another bulb; a bulbil.
- bullate
- surface with rounded or globular blisters.
- burr
- loosely, a prickly fruit; a rough or prickly propagule consisting of a seed or fruit and associated floral parts or bracts.
- buttress root
- a root growing from the above-ground stem or trunk, and providing support, as in the case of Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay Fig.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Botanical Terms