A synthesis of concepts, definitions and methods used in plant architectural studies is provided with a brief review of the field's terminology and a comparison with the usual morphological terms. The concept of architecture (Hallé & Oldeman, 1970) involves the idea of plant form and its history. The concept of the architectural model and reiteration, applies to the development of plant form along the life cycle. The tools and plant morphological traits used in architectural studies are dealt with and the applications of plant architecture to other botanical fields are discussed.