A botanical reference guide of morphological terms, plant structures, propagation techniques, and campus flora definitions.
Explore terms organized by botanical structure, morphology, and arboricultural concepts.
Corymb A flat-topped flower cluster in which the outer flowers open first Did you know? Flat-topped corymbs create landing platforms where pollinators can visit many small flowers efficiently.
Cotyledon A seed leaf. (a leaf which is part of a seed) Did you know? The number of cotyledons separates monocots from dicots — one seed leaf versus two seed leaves.
Crenate With rounded teeth, scalloped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Crenulate Having very small rounded teeth. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Crispate Having a curled or ruffled edge. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Cruciform Cross-shaped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Broccoli, cabbage, kale, radish, and mustard all belong to a family known for four-petaled, cross-shaped flowers.
Culm The hollow stem of a plant in the grass family. Did you know? Bamboo culms can grow extremely fast, sometimes adding several feet in a single day under ideal conditions.
Cuneate Wedge or triangular-shaped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Cupulate Cup-shaped. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification.
Cylindric Shaped like a cylinder - elongated and round in cross section.
The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations