Research Blog: The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms

"The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms" is a comprehensive illustrated glossary comprising over 2400 terms commonly used to describe vascular plants. The book also provides definitions to botanical terminology.

I am head over heels with this book. I have always been attracted to anatomical drawings of skeletons, animals and plants. While I have seen much beautiful sketches with color, the best thing about this book is the lengthy definitions. I have never been exposed to this language outside of the absolute bare minimum given in high school biology.

Have you heard of any of this?

hose-in hose: The unusual arrangement of flowers in some forms of Primula vulgaris (Primrose and P.veris (cowslip), in which the flowers are in pairs, one growing from the center of the other. (page 97)

(They even provide a cross reference image!!!)

corymb: A racemose inflorescence with pedicels of different lengths, causing the flower cluster to be flat-topped. (page 122)

rhizophore: In the genus Selaginella, a leaf-less branch which arises from the fork in the stem and grows downwards, putting out roots when it reaches the ground
(page 208)

(This is pretty crazy looking)

The natural wonders, that even small plants provide. The only thing I wish about this book was that it would also list information where these plants are most commonly found. The glossary also had some great visual information on leaves.


It seems that I have used a variety of compound leaves, Paripinnate as well as Tripinnate. In some of my other compositions I have used Palmatifid leaves as well as Pinnnatisect leaves, both classified as "simple leaves." I found studying this book and learning the scientific terminology for my subject really interesting. I look forward to learning more about botany. I included some pages from the book that were pretty interesting.