Glossary

Seed head
The top part of a plant that holds the seeds, like the fluffy part of a sunflower or goldenrod.

Seed pod
A shell or container that holds seeds, like a pea pod.

Chaff
Tiny bits of dried plant pieces that are not seeds.

Debris
Broken pieces of stems, leaves, or plant dust mixed in with the seeds.

Threshing
Gently rubbing or shaking the seed head so the seeds come loose.

Rubbing
Using your fingers to gently rub seeds out of the seed head.

Crushing
Pressing the seed head just enough to break it open (not smashing the seeds).

Screening
Using a mesh screen or strainer to separate seeds from bigger plant pieces.

Sifting
Shaking seeds through a strainer to sort big pieces from small pieces.

Sieving
A science word for using a screen or strainer to separate things by size.

Winnowing
Pouring seeds back and forth while blowing gently so the light, papery bits float away and the seeds stay.

Dry processing
Cleaning seeds that came from dry plants (sunflowers, asters, grasses).

Wet processing
Cleaning seeds from squishy or fleshy plants (berries, fruit-like seed pods).

Awns
Little hairs or spikes attached to seeds that sometimes need to be removed.

Inert material
Anything in your pile that is not a seed (stems, dust, pieces of flowers).

Viability
Whether a seed is healthy and able to grow.

Seed coat
The outside covering of the seed that protects the baby plant inside.

Drying
Letting seeds sit in a warm, dry place so they don’t mold.

Curing
Letting seeds finish drying completely before storing them.

Labeling
Writing the plant’s name, date, and place collected on the packet.

Storage
Keeping cleaned seeds in envelopes or jars in a cool, dry place until planting.

Purity
How clean your seed pile is (more seeds and less debris).

Seed lot
A group of seeds collected from the same plant at the same time.

Conditioning
The final step of making sure seeds are clean and ready for the seed library.

Herbarium
A special collection of dried and pressed plants that scientists use to study nature. Each plant is saved on paper with important information about where and when it was found.

Herbaria
The plural form of herbarium. This means more than one herbarium.

Specimen
A plant that has been pressed, dried, and glued or taped onto paper so it can be saved and studied.

Pressing
Flattening a plant between sheets of paper and applying weight so it dries flat and keeps its shape.

Mounting
Attaching a dried plant specimen onto a strong sheet of paper for long-term storage.

Label
A small piece of paper with important information about the plant, such as its name, who collected it, when it was collected, and where it was found.

Collector
The person who finds the plant and gathers information about it.

Field Notes
Quick notes written during plant collection that describe the plant, its location, habitat, and other observations.

Habitat
The place where a plant naturally grows, such as a wetland, forest, or meadow.

Botanist
A scientist who studies plants, including how they grow, what they look like, and where they live.

Press
A tool used to dry plants flat. It usually has cardboard, paper, and straps to keep everything tight.

Voucher Specimen
A specimen saved as “proof” of a plant’s identity, used for scientific research.

Morphology
The shape and structure of a plant, like its leaves, flowers, and stems.

Identification
Figuring out what plant species you have by looking at its features.