caespitose
Growing in dense tufts.
calli
Circular, warty, stalked thickenings commonly found on the lip (labellum) of the orchid (plural of callus).
callose
Hardened or thickened.
callus
Stalked thickening on the lip (labellum) of an orchid.
calyx
The group of sepals, or outer floral leaves, of a flower.
campanulate
Bell-shaped.
canaliculate
With longitudinal channels or grooves.
canopy
The uppermost cover formed by the branches and leaves of trees or the spread of bushes,shrubs and ground covers.
canopy closure
Stage where canopies of shrub and tree species meet.
canopy manipulation
Selectively removing vegetation to create gaps to facilitate natural invasion of native plants, or to plant later successional plants.
capillary
Hair-like.
capitula
Plural of capitulum: A dense head-like inflorescence of many flowers as occurs in most Asteraceae (daisies).
capitulum
A dense head-like inflorescence of many flowers as occurs in most Asteraceae (daisies).
capsule
A dry fruit formed from two or more fused carpels that splits open when ripe.
carbon sinks
Carbon locked away, or sequestered e.g. by trees.
carpel
One unit of the female part of a flower that consists of a basal seed-bearing ovary joined to a receptive stigma by a stalk-like style.
cauda
Tail-like appendage. (pl. caudae; adj. caudate).
cauline
Belonging to the stem, as in cauline leaves emerging from the stem.
cerise
Bright or deep red.
chartaceous
Having a papery texture.
chlorophyll
The green pigment of plants.
chlorotic
Lacking chlorophyll, therefore yellowish, suffering from chlorosis.
cilia
Short small hair–like structures on a cell or microorganism.
ciliate
With small hairs (cilia).
ciliolate
Diminutive of ciliate, i.e., having very small hairs.
cladode
Flattened stem with the function of a leaf.
cladodes
Usually flattened, photosynthetically active branches, these may be leaf–like (e.g., Phyllocladus) or branch–like (e.g., Carmichaelia).
clavate
Club-shaped, gradually widening towards apex.
cleft
Having indentations that extend about halfway to the center, as in certain leaves.
cleistogamous
Flowers that self-fertilise without opening.
coherent
Sticking together of like parts.
column
Stamen and stigmas fused to form a single organ.
composite
Many small flowers tightly packed together e.g., daisy flowers.
compound
Composed of several similar parts (cf simple).
concave
Curved inward.
concolorous
Of the same colour.
conical
Cone-shaped.
connate
Fusion of like parts.
conspecific
Individuals of the same species.
cordate
Heart-shaped with the notch at the base.
coriaceous
Leather–like; thick, tough, and somewhat rigid.
corolla
The whorl of petals of a flower.
corymb
Modified raceme where stalks of lower flowers are elongated to same level as the upper flowers.
cosmopolitan
A species or other taxonomic group that is distributed widely throughout the world.
costa
The midrib.
crenate
With rounded teeth (bluntly toothed) along the margin.
crisped
Margin tightly wavy or crinkled, curled or wavy.
cristate
With a crest.
crown
The growing point of an upright rhizome or trunk. This usually produces a tuft or ring of fronds.
crura
The two small projections at the mouth of a utricle in Carex.
cucullate
Hood-shaped.
culm
The erect stem of a grass.
cuneate
Wedge-shaped.
cupular
Cup-shaped.
cuttings
Stems and/or leaves taken from plants for propagation.
cyathium
A cup-like structure that surrounds the inflorescence in Euphorbia.
cyme
Inflorescence at the terminus of a branch and where new flowering branches emerge laterally below the flower.
cytorace
Populations (or infraspecific taxa) that differ in chromosome number or chromosome morphology, e.g., Nematoceras trilobum agg. has two cytoraces, a diploid and a tetraploid (in which the chromosomes are doubled).
cytotype
Populations (or infraspecific taxa) that differ in chromosome number or chromosome morphology, e.g., Nematoceras trilobum agg. has two cytotypes, a diploid and a tetraploid (in which the chromosomes are doubled).
caudex
The axis of a woody plant, esp. a palm or tree fern, comprising the stem and root.
columnar
Shaped like a column.
