Occasionally, plants have what appear to be terminal buds when really they are not. This condition is brought about when the end of the twig dies back and sloughs off to the nearest lateral bud, leaving a small stub that may only be visible using a hand lens. When a bud occurs in this position, it is termed a p seudo-terminal bud. This pseudo-terminal bud, or lateral bud, can be determined by the leaf scar directly below it. A true terminal bud has no leaf scar.
Buds are immature branches, miniature leaves, or flowers, usually with a protective covering.
With a few plants, no covering is provided, and the miniature leaves are visible. Buds are protected by scales of varying numbers. If the scales meet like a clam shell without any overlapping visible edges, they are termed valvate buds. When many overlapping scales are present, they are known as imbricated buds. The number of overlapping scales can vary from a few to many and can be used to distinguish between plants.