GLOSSARY

biodiversity
also biological diversity, the variety of all life formsthe different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems of which they form a part
biogeography
study of the natural distribution of plants and animals, including consideration of how they disperse, barriers to dispersal, and geological and ecological events of the past
bryophytes
mosses and liverworts
calcicole
plant adapted to growing on limestone or soils derived from limestone
cultivar
a garden variety; a propagated selection from a species population, differing in some horticulturally desirable way
cryptogams
lower plantsfungi, algae, mosses, liverworts and lichens
dicotyledon
a plant of one of the two major groups of flowering plants (Angiosperms), characterised by a seed with two seed leaves (cotyledons)
ecology
study of the interaction between living things and their physical, chemical and biological environment
endangered species
a species likely to become extinct unless the circumstances and factors threatening its abundance and survival cease to operate, or its numbers have been reduced to such a critical level or its habitats have been so drastically reduced that it is in immediate danger of extinction.
ethnobotany
study of plants used by humans
ex situ
off site; away from natural situation or location
flora
range of plant species occurring in a given area, site, ecological community, and so on
Gondwana
the ancient southern supercontinent which, in the last 100 million years, split into fragments that drifted apart to produce the present southern hemisphere continental arrangement
graft
artificially produced organic fusion of a branch taken from one plant (scion) and attached to another (rootstock)
habitat
home environment or general community type in which an organism lives
heath
a community dominated by low to medium-height (to 1.5 metres) sclerophyllous shrubs
herbarium
a collection of dried, pressed or preserved plant specimens with associated relevant data
in vitro
in sterile culture in glass containers, on, for example, agar medium
mallee
a sclerophyllous shrub or small tree that is multi-stemmed from a tuberous woody rootstock; a plant community dominated by this growth form
micropropagation
propagation of tissue, organs, embryo, seed, and so on, using sterile culture, in vitro methods
monocotyledon
a plant of one of the two major groups of flowering plants (Angiosperms), characterised by a seed with a single seed-leaf (cotyledon), flower parts arranged in threes, and leaves with parallel veins; for example, grasses, lilies, palms
morphology
study of structure or form
mycorrhizal
of fungi that grow in association with the roots of other plants
pathogen
organism that causes disease
phylogeny
study of evolutionary origins
sclerophyll
plant with leaves containing much woody tissue, giving the leaves a hard, harsh feel
systematics
the classification of living things into groups based on phylogeny
taxon/taxa
grouping(s) of plants and animals
taxonomy
the theory and practice of describing, naming and classifying plants and animals
vascular plants
higher plants, including flowering plants, conifers and ferns
xeric
dry; used in a general sense to refer to communities that, because of their structure (open canopy in particular), are more subject to drying condition from sun, wind, and so on.