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P

Palmate

With subunits or lobes arising from a single point.
Entry link: Palmate

Panicle

A branching inflorescence or flower cluster that is broad at the base and tapers towards the top.
Entry link: Panicle

Papaveraceae

Poppy Family. Comprised of 44 genera and 825 species. Most are annual or perennial herbaceous plants but there are also some woody shrubs and small tropical trees. Members of this family usually have two sepals enclosing the flower bud, which fall off when it opens, four brightly-coloured petals, many stamens and a rounded seed pod forming inside the flower.
Entry link: Papaveraceae

Pappus

Hairs, scales or bristles on the top of the avary and seed.
Entry link: Pappus

Percidae

Perch Family. Includes perches, walleyes and darters. Comprised of 11 genera and more than 200 species that prefer fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Characterized by having a dorsal fin split into two which are normally separated or have a narrow connection.

Entry link: Percidae

Perennial

Refers to plants that grow consistently between seasons and do not require additional reproduction to continue growth.
Entry link: Perennial

Perfoliate

Attached through the underside of the blade near the base, as if passing through the leaf.
Entry link: Perfoliate

Perigynium

Sac-like structure encasing the female flower with a single ovary.
Entry link: Perigynium

Petiole

The stalk portion of a leaf.
Entry link: Petiole

Petromyzontidae

Northern Lamprey Family. Comprised of 8 genera and about 43 species. Characterized by their elongate, cylindrical shape, no jaw and a disk-shaped mouth. Nonparasitic species live exclusively in freshwater, while parasitic species live in both fresh and marine environments.

Entry link: Petromyzontidae

Phyllary

An involucral bract of flowers in the family Asteraceae.
Entry link: Phyllary

Pinnate

Arranged in two rows along an axil, like barbs on a feather.
Entry link: Pinnate

Pistil

The female organ of the flower, composed of an ovary, style and stigma.
Entry link: Pistil

Pith

The central tissue in a stem or root, surrounded by vascular tissue.
Entry link: Pith

Plumbaginaceae

Leadwort Family. Comprised of 10 genera and about 560 species. They are primarily annual or perennial herbs, shrubs and climbers. Members of this family usually have a calyx with five joined sepals, flowers in dense clusters, flowers with five petals, and a superior ovary containing one seed.
Entry link: Plumbaginaceae

Poaceae

(formerly Gramineae) Grass Family. Comprised of about 800 genera and 12,000 species. It is the world's single most important source of food and rank among the top five families of flowering plants in terms of species numbers. They account for 24% of the Earth's vegetation.

Entry link: Poaceae

Polemoniaceae

Phlox Family. Comprised of 18 genera and about 385 species. They are annual or perennial, mostly herbaceous plants but some are woody. Members of this family usually have five joined petals, five stamens, a calyx made of five parts joined into a tube, alternate or opposite leaves, a seed pod with three chambers forming inside the flower and sticky seeds.
Entry link: Polemoniaceae

Polygonaceae

Smartweed or Buckwheat Family. Comprised of 48 genera and about 1,200 species. Most are perennial, herbaceous plants with swollen nodes but trees, shrubs and vines are also present. Leaves are simple and arranged alternately on the stems.

Entry link: Polygonaceae

Pontederiaceae

Pickerelweed or Water Hyacinth Family. Comprised of 2 genera and about 40 species of mostly perennial, aquatic plants. Members of this family have creeping rootstocks, fibrous roots and leaves in clusters at the base of the plant or borne on branched stems.

Entry link: Pontederiaceae

Potamogetonaceae

Pondweed Family. Comprised of 6 genera and about 110 species of aquatic, monocotyledonous flowering plants. Members of this family develop submerged or floating leaves but frequently have emergent flowering shoots.

Entry link: Potamogetonaceae

Primulaceae

Primrose Family. Comprised of 58 genera and about 2,600 species. They are mostly grown as ornamentals and include annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, lianas and trees. Members of this family usually have winter storage organs, five petals joined in a tube, five stamens joined to the tube opposite the petals, calyx of five parts joined in a tube, undivided leaves, and a seed pod with one chamber forming inside the calyx.
Entry link: Primulaceae

Pubescent

Description of plants with hair-like growth, commonly found on stems and leaves. These hairs often provide protection against herbivores.
Entry link: Pubescent


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