Glossary
Terms appear infield guides and in Edlyst trait summaries. If two words disagree, trust the measurement you can see.
Margin
The edge of a leaf: smooth (entire), toothed (serrated), lobed, or wavy. Margins are high-signal for separating lookalikes.
Petiole
The stalk that attaches a leaf blade to the stem; absent in sessile leaves that attach directly.
Simple vs. compound
A simple leaf has one blade per petiole. Compound leaves divide into leaflets—arranged pinnately along a midrib or palmately from one point.
Opposite, alternate, whorled
How leaves attach at a node: pairs across from each other, staggered up the stem, or in rings.
Venation
Vein pattern—pinnate veins feather from a midrib; palmate veins radiate from a base like fingers from a hand.
Inflorescence
The flower-bearing structure: a solitary bloom, cluster, spike, umbrella-like umbel, or branching panicle, to name a few common types.
Stipules
Small appendages at leaf bases—sometimes prominent, sometimes early-falling—useful in keys for certain families.
Habitat vs. range
Habitat is the kind of place a plant grows (wet meadow, talus, shade); range is the geographic territory where it occurs naturally or as established introduction.