C
C
- caerul-
- bluish ("cerulea" as in _Passiflora caerulea_, the mostly
blue-flowered "Passion Vine" / "caerulescens" /
"caeruleus")
- caes-
- referring to the color blue-gray ("caesium")
- caes-
- referring to the color blue ("caesia")
- caespi-
- tufted, growing in a clump ("caespitosus")
- caespitos-
- tufted, clumped ("caespitosus")
- caffr-
- referring to a region of S. Africa
- cal-
- beautiful ("calophylla" = "beautiful leaf")
- calabri-
- referring to S. Italy ("calabricus")
- calam-
- referring to a reed ("calamifolia" / "calamus")
- calath-
- referring to a basket (_Calathea_)
- calcarat-
- referring to spurs ("calcaratus")
- calcare-
- referring to lime ("calcareus")
- calceol-
- referring to slipper (shape) ("calceolatus")
- callos-
- thick, calloused ("callosum")
- calyc-
- referring to a flower's calyx ("calycina")
- calypt-
- referring to a covering ("calyptratus" = covered)
- cambr-
- referring to Wales
- campan-
- referring to a bell (_Campanula_)
("campanulatum")
- campestr-
- referring to fields ("campestris")
- canal-
- referring to lines, grooves ("canaliculatus")
- canariensis
- of or from the Canary Islands
- candi-
- hoary, white ("candicans" / "candida")
- cantabr-
- referring to a part of Spain ("cantabrius")
- cana
- referring to the color white or gray ("cana")
- canescens
- gray (or white) and somewhat hairy
- capens-
- referring to the Cape of Good Hope (or ANY cape region)
("capensis" / "capense")
- capill-
- referring to a hair, thread ("capillarius" / "capillare" /
"capilliformis" = "formed like a hair" /
"capillipes+ = "hair-like foot/stalk")
- capit-
- referring to the head (usually to the flower cluster)
("capitatum")
- cappadoc-
- referring to a part of Eastern Europe and Western Asia
("cappadocicum")
- vcapr-
- referring to a goat ("capricornis" = "goat's horn" /
"pes-caprae" = "foot + goat" / "caprea")
- capreol-
- twining, twisting (_Bignonia capreolatus_)
- caput
- a head ("caput-medusae" = "Medusa's head")
- card-
- referring to a heart (_Cardiospermum_ = "heart seed")
- -card(...)
- referring to a heart (_Anacardium_, the cashew genus,
referring to the heart-shaped fruit)
- caric-
- referring to a part of Asia Minor ("carica" / _Ficus
carica_ = the common fig)
- carin-
- referring to a keel ("carinata")
- carn
- -referring to flesh (usually the color) ("carnea"
"incarnata" / "carnosa")
- carolin-
- referring to the Carolinas ("caroliniensis") OR in honor
of the name "Charles" or "Carol")
- -carp(...)
- referring to a fruit ("megacarpus" = "big fruited" /
"macrocarpon" = "large fruit")
- carpath-
- referring to the Carpathian Mts. Region of Europe
- cartilag-
- referring to cartilege ("cartilagineum")
- cary-
- referring to a nut (_Caryota_, the fishtail palm genus)
- cathart-
- cathartic ("cathartica")
- cathay-
- referring to China ("cathayensis")
- caud-
- referring to a tail ("caudatus")
- caul-
- referring to a stem ("cauliflorus" = "bearing flowers on
the stem" / "caulescens")
- -caul(...)
- referring to a stem, trunk ("albicaulis" = "white
-stemmed")
- cep-
- referring to a head (_Cephalanthus_ = "flowers in a head"
- -cep(...)
- referring to a head ("multiceps" = "many-headed")
- cer-
- referring to wax ("cerifera" = "wax-bearing;" the genus
_Cereus_, because of the wax-candle body shapes of
most of the species / "cerefolium" = "wax-leaved")
- cera-
- referring to a horn ("ceratiformis" = "in the form of a
horn" / "platyceras" = "broad/flat horn")
- ceras-
- referring to a cherry (cherry-like) ("laurocerasus" =
specific name of the Cherrylaurel, the genus being
_Prunus_ (ancient Latin for the plum))
- cerc-
- referring to a tail (_Cercocarpus_ = "tailed fruit," the
Mountain Mahogany genus, in the Rose family, whose
fruit (hips) DO have little "tails")
- cernu-
- bending, drooping ("cernuus")
- ceylan-
- referring to Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
- chaen-
- open, split (_Chaenomeles_ = "split fruit")
- chaet-
- referring to a hair or bristle ("chaetophylla" =
"bristle-like leaves")
- chalcedon-
- referring to a part of Asia Minor, including Greece and
Turkey
- chamae-
- dwarf, low (_Chamaedorea_ = "dwarf gift," a palm genus,
referring to the fact that most species are of short
stature and, therefore, their fruit ((the gift))
is found at relatively low heights)
- cheil-/ chil-
- referring to a lip or margin ("_Chilopsis" = "like a lip,"
referring to the flaring, trumpet-shaped flowers)
(_Cheilanthes_ = "lip + flower")
- chen-
- referring to a goose (_Chenopodium_ = "goose + foot")
- -chi(...)
- referring to snow (_Hedychium_ = "sweet snow" referring to
the fragrant white flowers of this member of the
ginger family)
- chinensis
- of or from China
- chit-
- referring to a covering, a cloak (_Rhodochiton_ = "rosy
covering")
- chlamy-
- referring to clothes ("chlamydea" = "clothed, covered")
-chlamy(...)
- chrys-
- yellow, golden (_Chrysanthemum_ = "golden flower")
("chrysocoma" = "golden hair")
- -cid(...)
- referring to the act (or art) of killing (_Piscidea_ =
"fish + kill," the Fish Poison Tree)
- cili-
- ciliate, hairy ("ciliatus")
- cinct-
- girded, girdled ("cinctus")
- ciner-
- referring to ashes (ash-colored) (_Cineraria_ refers to
the ash-colored leaves)
- cinnabar-
- referring to cinnabar, a reddish mineral ("cinnabarinus")
- circin-
- coiled ("circinnatus")
- cirrh-
- referring to a thread, a tendril (_Cirrhopetalum_, an
orchid, = "tendril-like petals")
- ciss-
- referring to an ivy (_Cissus_)
- citr-
- referring to citrus ("citrifolia" = "leaves having a
citrus-like odor" / "citrinum")
- clad-
- referring to a branch (_Cladanthus_ = "branch + flower")
- clav-
- referring to a club ("clavatus")
- cleist-
- closed (_Cleisostoma_ = "closed mouth," referring to the
flower shape / _Cleistocactus_ = "closed + cactus")
- clin-
- inclined (_Clinostigma_ = "inclined stigma")
- clyt-
- beautiful, marvelous (_Clytostoma_ = "beautiful mouth,"
referring to the flaring, trumpet-shaped flowers of
this genus)
- cocc-
- referring to a seed or berry ("coccifera" = "bearing
berries" / _Chiococca_ = "snow berry")
-cocc(...)
- coccin-
- red ("coccineus")
- cochl-
- referring to a spoon, a spade (_Cochlearia_, referring to
leaf shape) ("cochlearis")
- cochli-
- referring to a spiral (_Cochliostema_ = "spiral stamens")
- coco-
- referring to a monkey (fr. Portuguese) (_Cocos nucifera_ =
the coconut palm, whose nut (fruit) with its three
"eyes" looks to some like a monkey's face -
"nucifera" = "nut-bearing")
- -codon
- referring to a bell (_Platycodon_ = "broad bell-shaped")
- coel-
- hollow (_Coelogyne_ = "hollow female part")
- coelest-
- referring to the sky, blue ("coelestina")
- collin-
- referring to a hill (habitat) ("collinus")
- columb-
- referring to a dove ("columbaria")
- com- -com(...)
- referring to a hair (_Acrocomia_ = "top + hair," referring
to the palms viewed from a distance) ("comosus")
- commun-
- common ("communis")
- commut-
- referring to change, changeable ("commutatus")
- con-
- with (having) ("concolor")
- confert-
- crowded ("confertifolia" = "crowded leaves")
- coni-
- referring to a cone ("coniferus")
- conjug-
- joined together ("conjugatus")
- conoid-
- cone-like ("conoideus")
- contort-
- twisted, contorted ("contortus")
- coral-
- coral, red ("corallinus")
- cord-
- referring to a heart ("cordifolia" = "heart-shaped leaf")
- core-
- referring to an insect (_Coreopsis_ = "like a bug")
- cori-
- referring to leather ("coriaceus" = "leatherlike")
- corn-
- referring to a horn ("tereticornis" = "cylindrical-
horned" / "cornuta")
- coron-
- referring to a crown ("coronata" "coronaria")
- cors-
- referring to Corsica ("corsicus")
- cort-
- referring to skin or bark ("corticosa" / "excorticata" =
"off + bark, referring to exfoliating bark")
- corusc-
- referring to vibration, shaking
- corymb-
- referring to a corymb, a broad, + or - flat-topped flower
cluster ("corymbosus")
- coryn-
- referring to a club (shape) ("corynocalyx" =
"club-shaped calyx")
- coryph-
- referring to the top (apex) of an entity (_Corypha_, a
palm genus whose species produce flowers only once, in a
huge panicle at the very tip of the trunk, and then the
tree dies)
- corys-
- referring to a helmet (_Corysanthus_)
- cost-
- referring to ribs ("costatus")
- cotyl-
- referring to a cup (_Cotyledon_, a genus of succulents
-cotyl(...) whose leaves are, in general, concave)
- crass-
- thick ("Crassulaceae," a whole family of succulent (thick-
stemmed) plants, which includes the genus _Crassula_)
("crassifolia" = "thick-leaved") / "crassipes" =
"thick foot"
- cren-
- scalloped, crenulate ("crenulatum")
- crepid-
- referring to a sandal ("crepidatum")
- crepit-
- referring to rattles ("crepitans")
- crepusc-
- referring to twilight ("crepuscularia")
- cret-
- referring to chalk or the island of Crete
- crinit-
- hairy ("crinitum")
- crisp-
- curled, crinkled ("crispus")
- crist-
- referring to a crest ("cristata" "crista-galli" = "crest
of a cock / cock's comb")
- croc-
- referring to the crocus (yellow) ("crocata" / "crocea" /)
- crotal-
- referring to rattles (_Crotalaria_, a papilionaceus
genus whose dry seed pods are like castanets)
- cruc-
- referring to a cross ("Cruciferae," a genus of plants,
includ many veggies, the petals of whose flowers are so
evenly distributed as to form a cross)
- cruent-
- referring to blood (color) ("cruenta")
- crypt-
- hidden, not obvious ("cryptanthus" = "hidden flower")
- cucul-
- referring to a hood ("cucullatus")
- cultr-
- referring to a knife (shape) ("cultratus" / "cultratus")
- cune-
- referring to a wedge (shaped) ("cuneiformis")
- cupr-
- referring to copper (color) ("cuprea")
- cupress-
- referring to a cypress ("cupressoides" = cypresslike")
- cuspid-
- referring to a cusp or point ("cuspidata")
- cyan-
- referring to the color blue ("cyaneus")
- cyath-
- referring to a cup ("cyathiforme" = "cup-shaped" /
"cyathiphorum" = "cup-bearing")
- cycl-
- referring to a circle (_Cyclanthera_ = "circle of
anthers")
- cycn- / cygn-
- referring to a swan ("cygniformis" / _Polycynis_ = "many
cyn- swans," referring to the flowers of this genus of orchids)
- cyl-
- referring to a cylinder ("cylindriata")
- cymb-
- referring to a boat (shape) ("cymbiformis")
- cyn-
- referring to a dog (_Cynoglossum_ = "dog's tongue")
- cym-
- referring to a cyme (a broad, flat-topped flower cluster)
("cymosa")
- cypho-
- referring to a hump, a tumor, a wart
- cypr-
- referring to copper ("cypreus") - or a slipper (_Cypr-
ipedium_, the "Lady-Slipper" genus of orchids)
- cyrt-
- referring to a curve (_Cyrtostachys_ = "a curved spike (of
flowers))
- cyst-
- referring to a cyst or bladder (_Cystacanthus_ = "bladder
+ thorn")
Next Page
Alphabetical Index
Home page
If you see anything wrong, please contact me!
Please give us your reactions and suggestions. We are very open to suggestion. We have a profound feeling of not knowing what we are doing. But we'll forge ahead anyway.
Please send your note to Charles Dills in California, USA.