Glossary for Cyperaceae

For terms not listed here, see the Plant Glossary.

Line drawings of plant features.
Achene
— A hard, one-seeded, indehiscent nutlet with a tight pericarp.
Bract
— A reduced leaf or scale, typically one which subtends a pedicel or inflorescence, but it also can refer to minute leaves on a stem.
Bristle
— A stiff hair.
Culm
— The stem of grasses, sedges, and rushes.
Inflorescence
— The discrete flowering portion or portions of a plant; a flower cluster.
Perianth
— Pertaining to the floral series of sepals, petals, or both, spoken of collectively.
Perianth bristles
— Pertaining to perianth parts (petals, sepals) that are reduced to a set of bristles.
Perigynium
— Referring specifically to the often inflated sac which encloses the ovary, and later the achene in the genus Carex.
Pistillate
— Referring to flowers or spikelets which bear pistils but not stamens.
Scale
— Generally a thin, sometimes papery, much reduced, leaf, bract, or perianth part.
Spikelet
— A secondary or small spike of flowers.
Staminate
— Referring unisexual flowers or spikelets which bear stamens but not pistils.

Family Glossaries

Contents of Plates

Plate 1:
Stem and Root Types.
Plate 2:
Leaf Composition, Parts, and Types.
Plate 3:
Leaf Shapes.
Plate 4:
Leaf Margins.
Plate 5:
Leaf Apices, Venation, and Bases.
Plate 6:
Surface Features.
Plate 7:
Stem and Leaf Parts, and Variations.
Plate 8:
Inflorescence Types.
Plate 9:
Floral Morphology.
Plate 10:
Corolla Types.
Plate 11:
Fruit Types.
Plate 12:
Sedges, Grasses, and Composites.

Information provided on this page applies to the Chicago Region and may not be relevant or complete for other regions.

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