The Cannabis Seed Glossary explains the cultivation, germination, genetics, and breeding terms you'll see throughout CannabisSeeds.com. Use it when an article introduces an unfamiliar term or when you need a quick, plain-language definition before going deeper.
This is a living reference. As new articles are added to the site, new terms and clearer definitions can be added here too.
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A
Autoflowering Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis seeds bred to produce plants that begin flowering mainly according to age rather than a change in the light schedule. Autoflowering plants usually have a shorter overall growing cycle, but they also have less time to recover from early stress.
Aeration
The amount of air available in soil, coco, or another growing medium. Good aeration gives developing roots access to oxygen and helps prevent the waterlogged conditions that can slow germination or encourage decay.
B
Bract
A small, modified leaf that surrounds part of a cannabis flower's reproductive structure. On a female plant, the teardrop-shaped bracts near the nodes may develop visible pistils.
Breeding Line
A related group of cannabis plants developed through planned crosses and selection. A documented breeding line gives you more useful information about expected traits than the appearance of an individual seed.
C
Calyx
The protective floral structure around a flower's reproductive organs. Cannabis growers often use “calyx” when referring to the visible teardrop-shaped structures on female flowers, although “bract” is usually the more precise term for what you can see.
Cannabinoid
A chemical compound produced by cannabis. THC and CBD are the best-known cannabinoids, but a seed's shell, size, or color can't tell you which cannabinoid profile the mature plant will produce.
Cultivar
A cultivated plant variety selected or bred for particular traits. A cultivar name should point to a documented genetic line, but plants grown from different seeds can still express some variation.
D
Direct Planting
Planting a seed in the place where the plant will continue growing instead of germinating it in a separate container first. Direct planting avoids transplant shock, but it gives you less control over temperature, moisture, pests, and soil conditions.
Dormancy
A temporary state in which a viable seed doesn't germinate even when some conditions appear suitable. Cannabis seeds generally don't have the deep dormancy found in some plant species, so slow germination is more often related to age, storage, moisture, temperature, or seed quality.
E
Embryo
The young plant inside a seed. During germination, the embryo resumes growth, sends out its first root, and later pushes the shoot above the growing medium.
Emergence
The point when a new seedling breaks through the surface of the growing medium. Once emergence begins, your seedling needs appropriate light to start photosynthesis and avoid excessive stretching.
F
Feminized Cannabis Seeds
Seeds bred with a very high likelihood of producing female plants. Feminized seeds can make a flower-focused crop easier to plan, but they don't produce genetically identical plants and don't eliminate the need to inspect for male flowers or intersex expression.
G
Germination
The process that begins when a viable seed absorbs water and resumes growth. Successful germination depends on balanced moisture and oxygen, moderate warmth, clean materials, and a seed that is still viable. The site's cannabis seed germination guide walks you through the basic process.
Genotype
A plant's inherited genetic makeup. The genotype sets the range of traits a plant may be able to express, while the environment influences how those traits appear as the plant grows.
H
Heat Mat
A low-wattage mat used beneath seedling containers to warm the root zone. If your room is cold, a thermostatically controlled mat can help stabilize germination temperatures; the seedling heat mat guide explains how to monitor one safely.
Humidity Dome
A clear cover that slows moisture loss around seeds or young seedlings. A dome can help prevent drying, but leaving it sealed too long can trap condensation and encourage mold.
Hybrid
A cannabis plant or breeding line created by crossing genetically different parents or populations. Most modern cultivars are hybrids, so broad indica and sativa labels don't always predict how a specific plant will grow or feel.
I
Indica
A broad label traditionally associated with shorter, broader-leaved cannabis plants and a shorter flowering period. Modern hybrid breeding makes the label less precise, so cultivar-specific records are more useful than the word “indica” alone.
Intersex Expression
The development of both male and female reproductive structures on the same cannabis plant. Genetics can influence this tendency, and environmental stress may also trigger it in susceptible plants.
L
Landrace
A regionally established cannabis population shaped over generations by local climate, cultivation, and natural selection, with relatively little outside breeding. Landrace populations can preserve valuable adaptations and diversity, but you should expect more variation than you would from a stabilized cultivar.
M
Medium
The material surrounding a seed or plant's roots, such as soil, coco coir, peat, or a starter plug. A germination medium should hold enough moisture for the seed while still leaving air space around the developing root.
Mottling
The spots, stripes, or irregular color patterns found on some mature cannabis seed shells. Mottling is a normal visual trait and doesn't reliably reveal sex, cultivar, potency, or final plant quality.
O
Open-Pollinated Cannabis Seeds
Seeds produced when several selected male and female plants contribute to the next generation within an isolated population. Open pollination can preserve broader diversity, but it also creates more variation and requires careful pollen control and recordkeeping.
P
Phenotype
The traits you can observe in a plant, including its structure, flowering time, aroma, color, and environmental response. A phenotype reflects the interaction between the plant's genotype and the conditions in which you grow it.
Photoperiod
The number of light and dark hours a plant receives each day. Photoperiod cannabis plants usually begin flowering when they receive longer uninterrupted periods of darkness.
Pistil
Part of the female flower's reproductive structure. The fine, hair-like growth growers commonly call a pistil is one of the early signs used to identify a female cannabis plant.
Pollen Sac
The structure on a male cannabis plant that produces and releases pollen. If your goal is unseeded female flower, identify and separate unwanted male plants before their pollen sacs open.
R
Regular Cannabis Seeds
Seeds that can produce either male or female plants. Regular seeds are useful for conventional breeding and preserving male genetics, but a flower-focused crop may require you to start extra seeds and remove or isolate the males.
Root Zone
The area of the growing medium occupied by a plant's roots. During germination and early seedling growth, keeping the root zone moist but aerated is more important than soaking the entire container.
Ruderalis
A cannabis population historically associated with northern regions and an age-linked flowering habit. Ruderalis-derived genetics are the source of the autoflowering trait used in modern autoflowering cultivars.
S
Sativa
A broad label traditionally associated with taller, narrower-leaved cannabis plants and a longer flowering period. Because most modern cultivars are hybrids, use the breeder's cultivar-specific information instead of relying on the label alone.
Seed Lot
A group of seeds produced, collected, or packaged together. Recording the source, cultivar, storage date, and germination results for each lot helps you separate seed-quality problems from environmental problems.
Seed Viability
A seed's ability to germinate and develop into a living plant. Appearance can help you screen out obviously damaged seeds, but storage history and a controlled germination test give you better evidence of viability.
Seedling
A young plant in its earliest stage after germination. Seedlings need gentle light, a small moist but airy root zone, moderate temperatures, and careful watering while their roots and first true leaves develop.
Stabilized Cultivar
A cultivar bred over multiple generations so selected traits appear more consistently. Stabilization reduces unwanted variation, but it doesn't make every seed-grown plant genetically identical.
T
Taproot
The first main root to emerge from a germinating cannabis seed. The taproot grows downward and begins forming the root system, so avoid touching or damaging it when you move a germinated seed.
Terpene
An aromatic compound produced by cannabis and many other plants. Terpenes help shape a cultivar's aroma and may contribute to its overall effects, but you can't predict a mature plant's terpene profile from the seed shell.
Tissue Test
A laboratory test performed on a small plant sample. Depending on the method, tissue testing may help identify sex-associated or other genetic markers before those traits become visible.
Transplant Shock
Stress that occurs when a plant's roots or environment are disturbed during a move. Starting in a suitable container and handling the root ball gently can reduce transplant shock.
V
Viable Seed
A living seed capable of germinating under suitable conditions. A viable seed may still germinate slowly if it's old or has been stored poorly, while a healthy-looking seed may no longer be viable.
How This Glossary Will Grow
New terms should be added whenever a published article introduces language that a reader may need explained. Each definition should stay concise, use the same meaning found in the related articles, and link to a deeper page only when that link helps you take the next practical step.