Site Glossary

The definitions below refer to how words are used on this website.

annual
a plant that completes its life cycle within one year
awn
a bristle-like projection, common on grass seedheads
biodiversity
refers to the range of different plant and/or animal species in an area
bipinnate
leaves where the leaflets attached to the central stem bear leaflets themselves
catkin
the flower (usually of one sex) of willows, poplars and some other species
compound
leaves that are divided into smaller units (called leaflets) on the same stalk
corm
a swollen bulb-like underground stem from which a new plant grows
crown
  1. (n) the point where stems join roots
  2. (v) a method for removing certain plants
drey
the nest of a ringtail possum
ecosystem
a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their environment
exotic
plants or animals not native to Australia
herbaceous
a plant that does not form woody tissue
hybrid
a plant that has parents of different species
layer
stems that grow roots when they touch the soil
leaflet
one of the separate segments of a compound leaf
lobe
a roundish division of a leaf
margin
the edge of a leaf or leaflet
monoculture
an area where only one species of plant grows
node
the point on the stem from which a leaf or leaves grow
perennial
a plant that lives for three or more years
rhizome
an underground stem which grows horizontally, producing roots and shoots
sapwood
the living tissue of a woody plant, lying between the bark and the heartwood
spikelet
a type of grass seedhead
stolon
a stem that grows along the ground, producing roots and shoots; a runner
sucker
new shoots growing from roots
tuber
a swollen underground stem or root from which a new plant grows
urban runoff
polluted water that runs off the hard surfaces of urban (including industrial) areas into bushland.
vegetative reproduction, vegetative spread
a plant spreading or reproducing from its own vegetative parts, such as rhizomes, stolons, tubers, suckers, not from seeds