botany

The definition of botany is the study of plant life, or the plant life and vegetation of a particular area.

(noun)

When a scientist studies plants in the rain forest, this is an example of studying botany.

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See botany in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. the branch of biology that studies plants, their life, structure, growth, classification, etc.
  2. the plant life of an area
  3. the characteristics or properties of a plant or plant group

Origin: botan(ical) + -y

See botany in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. bot·a·nies
  1. a. The science or study of plants.
    b. A book or scholarly work on this subject.
  2. The plant life of a particular area: the botany of the Ohio River valley.
  3. The characteristic features and biology of a particular kind of plant or plant group.

Origin:

Origin: Back-formation from earlier botanic, botanical

Origin: , from Late Latin botanicus; see botanical

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See botany in Ologies

Botany

See also biology; flowers; grasses; leaves; plants; trees.

agrostology

the branch of systematic botany that studies grasses. Also called graminology.agrostologist, n. —agrostologic, agrostological, adj.

algology

the branch of botany that studies seaweeds and algae. Also called phycology. —algologist, n.algological, adj.

ampelography

the branch of botany that studies the cultivation of grapes. —ampelographer, n.

anamorphosis

an abnormal change in the form of a plant that falsely gives it the appearance of a different species. —anamorphic, adj.

anisotropy

the state or condition of certain flowers or plants of having different dimensions along different axes. See also physics. —anisotropic, adj.

batology

the branch of botany that studies brambles. —batologist, n.

bisymmetry

in botany, the condition of having two planes of symmetry at right angles to one another. —bisymmetric, bisymmetrical, adj.

botany

a major division of biology that studies all plant life. Also called phytology.botanist, n.botanical, adj.

bryology

the branch of botany that studies mosses and liverworts. —bryologist, n.

caprification

the pollination process of figs, in which fig wasps, attracted by the caprifigs, or inedible fig-fruit, pollinate the figs. —caprificator, n.

caricologist

a person who specializes in the study of sedges.

carpology

the branch of botany that studies the structure of fruits and seeds. —carpologist, n.carpological, adj.

chromatism

abnormal coloration in parts of a plant that are usually green. See also color.

cryptogamist

one proficient in cryptogamic botany, i.e., the study of plants, as ferns and mosses, that have no true flowers or seeds.

dendrology

the branch of botany that studies trees. —dendrologist, n.dendrologic, dendrological, adj.

epiphytology

the study of the character, ecology, and causes of plant diseases, as blight, which destroy a large number of susceptible plants in a large area simultaneously. —epiphytologist, n.

ethnobotany

a specialty in botany that studies the lore and uses of plants as illustrative of the customs of a (usually primitive) society. —ethnobotanist, n.ethnobotanic, ethnobotanical, adj.

filicology

the study of ferns. Cf. pteridology.filicologist. n.

fungology

the scientific study of fungi. —fungologist, n.fungological, adj.

graminology

agrostology. —graminologist, n.graminologic, graminological, adj.

herbalist

Obsolete, a descriptive botanist. See also plants.

herbarian, herbarist

Obsolete, a herbalist.

herbarism

Obsolete, botany.

herbarium

a collection of dried plants, assembled and arranged for botanical study.

lichenology

the study of lichens. —lichenologist, n.lichenologic, lichenological, adj.

Linneanism

a system of botanical nomenclature following the binomial procedures established by Swedish botanist Carl von Linné. —Linnaean, Linnean, adj.

muscology

the study of mosses. —muscologist, n.

mycology

1. the branch of botany that studies fungi.

2. a catalogue of the fungi found in a specific area. —mycologist, n.mycologie, mycological, adj.

orchidology

the branch of botany or horticulture that studies orchids. —orchidologist, n.

phycography

a scientific description of seaweed. —phycographic, adj.

phycology

algology. —phycologist, n.

phylum

any of the basic divisions of the plant or animal kingdom. Cf. phylon.

phytogenesis

the science and history of the development of plants. Also phytogeny. —phytogenetic, phytogenetical, adj.

phytogeography

the study of plants according to their geographical distribution. —phytogeographer, n.phytogeographic, phytogeographical, adj.

phytography

the branch of botany that studies plant measurement and plant taxonomy. —phytographer, phytographist, n.phytographic, phytographical, adj.

phytology

botany.

phytosociology

the branch of ecology that studies the interrelations of plants and plant communities. —phytosociologist, n.phytosociologic, phytosociological. adj.

pomology

1. the branch of botany that studies the cultivation of fruit.

2. the science of growing, storing, and processing fruit. —pomologist, n.

pteridography

the systematic description of ferns.

pteridology

the branch of botany that studies ferns. Cf. filicology. —pteridologist, n.

Schwendenerism

the theory that lichens are parasitic fungi growing upon algae, first advanced by the German botanist S. Schwendener.

sphagnology

the study of the sphagnum mosses. —sphagnologist, n.

stirpiculture

selective breeding to develop strains with particular characteristics. —stirpicultural, adj.

symphyogenesis

production by union of elements that were formerly separate. —symphyogenetic, adj.

tautonym

a botanical or zoological name in which two terms are combined, the generic name and the specific, with both being the same. (a practice no longer approved by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.)

uredinology

a branch of mycology that studies rusts. —uredinologist, n.

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