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")

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