Mini Botanical Glossary
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A botanist studies plants: their structure, their life cycles, their properties - anything there might be to know about them. But while not all botanists are herbalists, there is a little bit of a botanist in every herbalist - one needs to have a working knowledge of all aspects of a plant to understand how to best use and combine them to support health. (All doctors study humans, but not all doctors are herbalists, but all herbalists need to also have a working knowledge of all aspects of the human body, but that is a discussion for another time...) Here I present you with a little glossary of botanical terms. It is far from comprehensive; however, it will get you started down the rabbit hole.
This list is ever growing. While published on April 19,2025, the last update was on April 30, 2025.
Aerial Parts: The parts of the plant that are above ground, often stems, leaves, tendrils, thorns, fruit
Alternate Leaves: Leaves that grown from each side of a stem, but not directly opposite each other; ie. they grow out from the stem at different heights.
Annual Plant: A plant that lives out its life cycle in one year. Many of the most colorful flowers are ones that bloom, set seed and die within one year.
Aromatic: Used to describe a plant with a scent or that contain volatile oils that may be made into an essential oil.
Axil: The axil is the junction between a leaf stalk and the stem.
Basal: Leaves that grow from the base of the plant, often called a rosette.
Biennial Plant: A plant that has a two-year life cycle. They often flower and set seed in the second season of their life.
Botanical Name: The scientific or Latin name of a plant. This name is universally used to avoid confusion with the various common names in use across cultures.
Bract: A specialized leaf, often associated with a flower or flower cluster. It is sometimes mistaken to actually be a part of the flower itself.
Compound Leaf: A leaf that is divided into multiple leaflets.
Cordate: Heart-shaped, such as the cordate leaves of the Eastern Redbud Tree (Cercis canadensis).
Corola: The petals of a flower.
Deciduous: A plant that loses its leaves, such as deciduous trees that lose their leaves in Autumn or Winter.
Dioecious: Plants that have male and female flowers on separate plants.
Genus: The first part of the scientific or Latin name of a plant. It is the botanical classification that groups closely related species.
Herbaceous Plant: A plant with non-woody stems; generally, a plant that either has a single year life cycle or dies back to the roots each year.
Inflorescence: This is the complete flowering portion of a plant that includes stems, stalks, bracts, and the flowers themselves.
Lanceolate: Spear-shaped, such as the lanceolate leaves of narrow leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata).
Monoecious: A plant that has both female and male reproductive parts on the same individual plant.
Node: The point where leaves, branches or aerial roots originate on a stem.
Opposite Leaf Pattern: Leaves that grow in pairs on a stem, opposite from each other and at the same height.
Panicle: Lose cluster of flowers, such as in oats and some grasses. Also used to describe some flower blossoms, such as lilac (Syringa vulgaris) blooms.
Perennial Plant: A plant that lives for several years and that blooms or fruits each year after it is mature.
Perfect Flower: A flower that contains both male and female sex organs in the same flower. Bean (Phaseolus spp.) have perfect flowers and often self-pollenate before the blossoms are fully open.
Rhizome: An underground stem that provides food storage for some plants, such as bearded irises (Iris x germanica).
Stamen: The male sex organ of a flower.
Stigma: The female sex organ of a flower.
Tuber: An underground, swollen stem that provides food storage, such as sweet potato (Ipomoea batata) tubers. Often erroneously used for rhizome.
Umbel Flower: A flower in the shape of an umbrella, such as the flowers of Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota).
Author's Note:
Wild Blackberry Apothecary is the dream of a one-woman homesteader in the middle of Middle Tennessee, USA. I currently work full time and homestead part time with 4 dogs, 12-30 chickens, several domestic blackberry and raspberry plants - and thousands of wild blackberry vines that are trying ot take over every inch that they can. My husband of 30+ years does not homestead, but indulges me. As we look towards our retirement years, we hope to further develop our property and perhaps add more rescue dogs, more blackberries and trees, and have me move to homesteading full time.
Disclaimer:
It is the policy of Wild Blackberry Apothecary to not advise or recommend herbs or herbal concoctions for medicinal, nutritional or health user. This information is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation and an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. The reader should do their own research and consult with a licensed health care provider concerning their medical, nutritional and health care concerns. In addition, some plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects. It is the responsibility of the reader to conduct their own research and to ensure for themselves the proper identification and use of all plants. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or medical conditions.
Disclosures:
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Information offered on Wild Blackberry Apothecary websites and social media sites are for educational purposes only. Wild Blackberry Apothecary makes neither medical claim, nor intends to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Links to external sites are for informational purposes only. Wild Blackberry Apothecary neither endorses them nor is in any way responsible for their content. Readers must do their own research concerning the safety and usage of any herbs or supplements.
