Plant Morph Vocabulary

Front 1

fossil

Back 1

a preserved organism or portion thereof, or evidence of the organism’s existence

Front 2

paleobotany

Back 2

the study of plant fossils

Front 3

compression fossil

Back 3

a thin carbonaceous film exhibiting solely the gross outlines of, and surface features of plant parts, with little to no cellular detail

Front 4

coal

Back 4

crushed plant material

Front 5

impression fossil

Back 5

the pieces of rock which overlay a compression fossil, exhibiting an imprint of the compression

Front 6

mold

Back 6

sediment which bordered an intact plant or plant part and which later became lithified

Front 7

lithification

Back 7

hardening of sediment into rock

Front 8

cast

Back 8

lithified sediment within a mold after the disappearance of plant material

Front 9

cuticle

Back 9

acellular, waxlike deposit over epidermal cells

Front 10

epidermis

Back 10

outermost cell layer of plants

Front 11

petrifaction

Back 11

Plant material has been permanently infiltrated by minerals; cell walls carbonized or mineral-replaced

Front 12

Chemical fossil

Back 12

Chemical remains of organisms or their activities

Front 13

Amber

Back 13

Hardened resin produced by various conifers, angiosperms, and other seed plants

Front 14

fossil

Back 14

a preserved organism or portion thereof, or evidence of the organism’s existence

Front 15

paleobotany

Back 15

the study of plant fossils

Front 16

compression fossil

Back 16

a thin carbonaceous film exhibiting solely the gross outlines of, and surface features of plant parts, with little to no cellular detail

Front 17

coal

Back 17

crushed plant material

Front 18

impression fossil

Back 18

the pieces of rock which overlay a compression fossil, exhibiting an imprint of the compression

Front 19

mold

Back 19

sediment which bordered an intact plant or plant part and which later became lithified

Front 20

lithification

Back 20

hardening of sediment into rock

Front 21

cast

Back 21

lithified sediment within a mold after the disappearance of plant material

Front 22

cuticle

Back 22

acellular, waxlike deposit over epidermal cells

Front 23

epidermis

Back 23

outermost cell layer of plants

Front 24

petrifaction

Back 24

Plant material has been permanently infiltrated by minerals; cell walls carbonized or mineral-replaced

Front 25

Chemical fossil

Back 25

Chemical remains of organisms or their activities

Front 26

Amber

Back 26

Hardened resin produced by various conifers, angiosperms, and other seed plants

Front 27

Vegetative organ

Back 27

Stem, root, or leaf

Front 28

Cross section

Back 28

Slice of an organ cut perpendicular to the long axis of the organ

Front 29

Longitudinal section

Back 29

Slice of an organ cut along the long axis of the organ

Front 30

Dermal system

Back 30

Tissue system consisting of solely the peripheralmost tissue(s) of any organ, i.e. epidermis w/stomata, periderm

Front 31

Periderm

Back 31

Several straight rows of cells present in some plants, situated immediately subjacent to the epidermis, between the epidermis and cortex; originates after epidermis, by divisions of peripheral cortex cells

Front 32

Stomata

Back 32

Modified kidney-shaped epidermal cells (guard cells) plus the stomatal pore between them, through which gases enter and leave the plant

Front 33

Vascular system

Back 33

Tissue system consisting of vascular (conducting) tissue

Front 34

Vascular bundles

Back 34

Strands of vascular tissues that extend vertically through the stem.

Front 35

Xylem

Back 35

Complex, water-conducting tissue

Front 36

Tracheary elements

Back 36

Dead xylem cells that appear empty, broad, and have thick, conspicuously red-staining walls; they conduct water

Front 37

Phloem

Back 37

Complex food-conducting tissue consisting of broad sieve tube elements and companion cells

Front 38

Sieve tube elements

Back 38

Broad, living phloem cell that conducts food

Front 39

Sieve plate

Back 39

Perforated cell walls at either up-down end of a sieve tube element

Front 40

Companion cells

Back 40

Narrow, living, densely-staining phloem cells

Front 41

Collateral bundle

Back 41

Bundle of vascular tissue in which the xylem is directed toward the center and the phloem is directed toward the periphery

Front 42

Bicollateral bundle

Back 42

Bundle of vascular tissue in which the phloem occurs both to the inside and to the outside the vascular bundle

Front 43

Vascular cambium

Back 43

Type of nonvascular tissue consisting of thin-walled cells that occurs between the xylem and phloem of each vascular bundle

Front 44

Fundamental system

Back 44

Tissue system consisting of all regions of the stem other than the dermal system and vascular system; a.k.a ground tissue

Front 45

Pith

Back 45

Centralmost core of ground tissue in the stem

Front 46

Cortex

Back 46

Region of ground tissue situated between the epidermis and the vascular tissue

Front 47

Interfascicular area

Back 47

Region of ground tissue situated between two adjacent vascular bundles, connecting the pith and cortex

Front 48

Parenchyma cells

Back 48

living, thin-walled cells of fundamental system

Front 49

Collenchyma cells

Back 49

Living cells of fundamental system, with unevenly thickened cell walls

Front 50

Sclerenchyma cells

Back 50

Frequently dead, thick-walled cells lacking protoplasts; two types: sclereids and fibers

Front 51

Fibers

Back 51

Very long sclerenchyma cells

Front 52

Sclereids

Back 52

Nonelongated sclerenchyma cells