The Apotheca Reference

The Apotheca Reference is a growing glossary of plant terms, preparation language, dry goods vocabulary, historical apothecary words, and tools of the trade.

This page is designed to make botanical language easier to understand while honoring the long relationship between people, plants, land, and seasonal preparation.

Plant Part Terms

Term & Plain-language explanation:

  • Root: The underground portion of the plant.

  • Leaf: The leaf material of the plant.

  • Flower: The blossom or flowering portion of the plant.

  • Flowering Tops: The upper portion of a plant gathered while in flower, often including flowers, small leaves, and tender stems.

  • Aerial Parts: The above-ground portions of the plant.

  • Bark: The outer protective layer of a woody plant.

  • Seed: The mature seed material of the plant.

  • Fruit: The seed-bearing structure of a plant.

  • Resin: A sticky plant substance produced by some trees and plants.

  • Sap: Fluid transported within a plant.

Tincture Language

  • Tincture: A liquid botanical preparation made by steeping plant material in alcohol or an alcohol-water mixture.

  • Extract: A preparation made by drawing constituents from plant material into a liquid.

  • Ratio: The relationship between plant material and liquid.

  • Proof: A measure of alcohol strength. In the United States, proof is twice the alcohol by volume percentage.

  • Neutral Grain Spirit: A high-proof alcohol often used in tincture preparation.

  • Amber Glass: Dark-colored glass used to help protect light-sensitive contents.

  • Single-Herb Tincture: A tincture made from one plant.

  • Blend: A preparation made from more than one plant or extract.

  • Sediment: Small particles that may settle at the bottom of a bottle.

Form & Processing Terms

  • Fresh: Recently harvested plant material that has not been dried.

  • Dried: Plant material with moisture removed for storage.

  • Cut: Plant material chopped or broken into pieces.

  • Cut & Sifted: Plant material that has been cut and screened through a mesh or sieve.

  • Powder: Finely ground plant material.

  • Whole: Plant material kept largely intact.

  • Garbling: Removing unwanted stems, damaged material, debris, or non-target plant parts after harvest.

  • Maceration: Soaking plant material in a liquid for a period of time.

  • Menstruum: The liquid used to extract plant material.

  • Marc: The plant material left after extraction.

  • Batch: A defined amount of product prepared together under the same process.

  • Lot: A traceable identification code connected to a batch, harvest, or finished product.

Historical Apotheca Terms

  • Apotheca: An old word connected to a storehouse or place where goods, herbs, preparations, and supplies were kept.

  • Apothecary: A person or shop historically associated with preparing, storing, and selling medicines, herbs, spices, and household preparations.

  • Materia Medica: A historical term for collected knowledge about medicinal substances.

  • Dispensatory: A reference book containing formulas, preparations, and directions used by apothecaries and medical practitioners.

  • Pharmacopoeia: An official or standardized reference for substances and preparations.

  • Herbal: A book or written collection describing plants and their traditional uses.

  • Physic Garden: A garden used to grow plants for study, teaching, and traditional preparation.

  • Stillroom: A household room historically used for preserving, drying, distilling, and preparing foods, herbs, waters, and household goods.

  • Simple: A preparation made from one plant or single ingredient.

  • Compound: A preparation made from multiple ingredients.

  • Electuary: A traditional preparation made by mixing powdered plant material with honey or syrup.

  • Unguent: An old term for an ointment or salve-like preparation.

  • Elixir: A sweetened liquid preparation, often alcohol-based in historical contexts.

  • Bitters: Bitter-tasting preparations associated with historic apothecary practice.