Glossary of Gardening Terms

Index C

Cactus:
   Stem succulent, member of the Cactaceae family.
Caducous:
   Quickly falling (as in leaves)
Calcareous:
   Refers to soil with a high content of calcium carbonate (chalk) or magnesium carbonate.
Callus:
   Thickened tissue that is formed by the cambium layer to aid the healing around a wound.
Calyx:
   The collective term for the outer whirl of a flower constituting the sepals.
Cambium:
  The lateral meristem of woody plants responsible for secondary growth and thickening of woody stems.
Campanulate:
   Bell-shaped.
Cane:
   Hollow, slender, jointed stem, particularly characteristic of bamboos.
Capillary water:
   Water held in soil pores by capillary action.
Capitulum:
   An inflorescence consisting of a head of closely packed sessile florets as in the head of a sunflower.
Capsule:
   A simple dry seed case, opening when ripe. (e.g., poppy head)
Carbon dioxide:
   A gas with the chemical formula CO2 that makes up 0.03% of the atmosphere. It is the world's chief carbon source, being converted to carbohydrates by photosynthesis.
Cardinal temperatures:
   Minimum, maximum and optimum temperatures for a plant species.
Carminative:
   Assisting to expel wind.
Carnivorous:
   (insectivorous) Applied to a plant that obtains nutrients by trapping and ingesting insects.
Carnose:
   Fleshy.
Carpel:
   Ovule-bearing part of a flower.
Caryopsis:
   A simple dry indehiscent fruit where the seed coat is strongly fused to the pericarp. (e.g., cereal grains)
Catkin:
   Form of inflorescence, often pendant, consisting of scale-like bracts and tiny, unisexual, usually petalless flowers arranged in a spike.
Caudex:
   Swollen stem base of a woody -based plant such as palms, cycads and some succulents.
Caudiform:
   Resembling or possessing a caudex.
Cell wall:
   The rigid external covering of a plant cell, composed mainly of cellulose.
Central:
   Spine of a cactus, growing from the centre of an areole.
Central vein:
   Midrib.
Cephalium:
   Woody, flower-bearing, densely spined area at stem apex of some cacti.
Cespitose:
   Low growing; cushion-like in habit. Growing in tufts.
Chalky:
   Calcareous.
Channelled:
   Lined with one or more longitudinal grooves.
Chilling requirement:
   The number of hours a dormant bud must be exposed to temperatures between 0_C and 7_C before its internally dormant condition will be overcome.
Chilling injury:
   Injury to cells of tropical plants at temperatures between 0_C and 10_C.
Chimaera:
   Plant composed of 2 or more genetically different tissues; the result of a mutation or of a graft hybrid.
Chipping:
   Scarify.
Chlorophyll:
  Green constituent of the cells of leaves, essential for the synthesis of carbohydrates.
Chloroplast:
   A plastid in photosynthetically active cells that contains chlorophyll, and is the site of photosynthesis.
Chlorosis:
   A condition of plant parts becoming light green or yellowish due to disease or mineral deficiency.
Chromoplast:
   An organelle containing any plant pigment other than chlorophyll. Chromoplasts are usually most numerous in the cells of flowers.
Ciliate:
   Fringed.
Citrus:
   Pertaining to the genus citron, grapefruit, lemon, orange, lime and other fruit.
Cladode:
   Flattened leaf-like stem.
Cladophyll:
   Phylloclade.
Clay:
   Very fertile, heavy, moisture-retentive soil, prone to compaction and surface capping.
Clay granules:
   Moisture-retentive pellets of expanded clay. Used to increase humidity around houseplants.
Cleft:
   Divided almost halfway to the centre.
Climate:
   The long-term conditions of temperature, humidity, wind etc., on a relatively large area.
Climber:
   Plant that climbs or clings by means of modified stems, roots, leaves or leaf stalks, using other plants or objects as support.
Cloche:
   Structure of glass or plastic used for cold weather protection of plants.(Particularly vegetables)
Clone:
   vegetatively produced progeny of a single individual; as in cuttings, grafts etc.
Cluster:
   (fascicle) Arrangement of several inflorescences, leaves, stems, roots, or flowers that arise from a single point or appear to do so.
Cold frame:
   Unheated frame used for growing on fully hardy , frost-hardy, and half-hardy plants, usually situated outdoors.
Cold greenhouse:
   Unheated but frost free greenhouse.
Cole:
   Cabbage, and any of its close vegetable relatives
Collar:
   The outer side of the leaf at the junction of the leaf blade and the leaf sheath in grasses.
Column:
   Flower organ, mainly found in orchids, consisting of fused male and female reproductive parts.
Compaction:
   Compressed soil, particularly saturated clay and silt soils, resulting in poor aeration.
Complete Fertilizer:
   A plant food which contains all three of the primary elements... nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Compost:
   see listings under;- cutting, garden, JI (John Innes)1/2/3, loam,potting and seed .
Compound leaf:
   A leaf composed of a number of distinct leaflets.
Cone:
   Woody, seed bearing structure composed of central structure with many lateral scales. (Usually associated with fir trees)

Conifer:

Coniferous:

   Plants such as pine, spruce or larch which bear seeds in cones.
Contractile:
   Describes a root that is able to draw a bulb, rhizome, or seedling into the soil or closer to the surface.
Controlled atmosphere storage:
   A type of storage chamber in which the availability of oxygen can be limited as a means of reducing the rate of respiration in the stored product.
Cool greenhouse:
   Greenhouse with a minimum temperature of 35F (2C)
Coppice:
   (stool) To prune trees or shrubs close to ground level annually to promote strong growth.
Cordate:
   Heart-shaped.
Cordon:
   Trained plant (usually a fruit tree) generally restricted to one main stem.
Corm:
   A short swollen underground stem used for storage.
Cormlet:
   Small corm that arises at or near the base of a mature one.
Corolla:
   Inner whirl of a flower, petals.
Corona:
   A crown or cup-like growth on a flower.
Corymb:
   Flat topped raceme formed by proportionally longer lower flower stalks.
Cotyledon:
   The seed leaves of the embryo which serve as a food reserve used during germination, and may act as leaves before the development of the first true leaves.
Crenate:
   Scalloped.
Crenolate:
   Leaf margins which are shallow toothed.
Cristate:
   Crested.
Crocks:
   Broken pieces of clay pot, used to cover drainage holes in containers used for planting to improve drainage and aeration.
Cross:
   See Hybrid
Cross-pollination:
   The transfer of pollen from the stamen of one flower to the stigma of a flower found on another plant that is not a genetic clone.
Crown:
   Growing point of a plant from which new shoots arise.
Crownshaft:
   Upper section of a palm or cycad trunk.
Crozier:
   Coiled juvenile frond of a fern.
Cruciform:
   Cross-shaped.
Culm:
   The elongated stem of a grass usually supporting the inflorescence.
Cultivar:
   A cultivated variety. A plant with distinguishing characteristics originating and persisting under cultivation. Cultivar names are usually indicated in ' single quotes.'
Cultivate:
   Process of breaking up the soil surface, removing weeds, and preparing for planting.
Cuneate:
   Wedge-shaped.
Cup:
   Corona of Narcissus but only when shorter than the surrounding sepals.
Cupule:
   Cup shaped whorl of hard, fused bracts surrounding the base of a fruit.(As in beech nuts)
Cuticle:
   The waxy layer covering the outer epidermal layer of a plant.
Cutting:
   Part taken from a parent plant for cultivation.
Cutting Compost:
   Free draining, low nutrient compost that id used to root cuttings, usually based on granulated bark, soil, peat (or peat substitute), perlite, or sand.

Cuttings:

Heel

   Young sideshoot pulled from the adult plant with a sliver of the old wood attached.

Cuttings:

Leaf

   Leaf separated from the parent plant and induced to form its own roots.

Cuttings:

Softwood

   Young leafy shoots rooted in a moist atmosphere, e.g. Frame or propagator (to prevent wilting)
Cyathium:
   Inflorescence of Euphorbia, in which a cup-like involucle surrounds a single pistil and several male flowers, each with a single stamen; flowers are sometimes bisexual.
Cycad:
   Member of the Cycadaceae family. Usually with short fat trunk and stiff Palm-like leaves.
Cyme:
   An inflorescence where the central flower opens first.
Cytokinins:
   A group of growth promoting hormones effective in promoting cell division.
Cytoplasm:
   The fluid portion inside a cell that does not include the vacuole.

Last updated 10 March, 2002
© copyright 1999, P. A. Owen