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.
Cordate Having a heart-shaped outline. Botanists use this feature to describe leaf shape, surface, edge, or arrangement, which helps with plant identification. Did you know? Redbud leaves are a familiar example of cordate leaves, with a heart-shaped outline.
Coriaceous Having a leathery texture. This feature helps describe plant form, function, or identification. Did you know? Leathery leaves, such as magnolia or holly leaves, help reduce water loss and resist winter damage.
Corm A swollen underground bulblike structure - but actually part of a stem. Did you know? A corm is solid inside, unlike a bulb. Crocus and gladiolus grow from corms.
Corolla The petals of a flower, collectively. This feature helps explain how flowers are arranged, how pollination happens, or how seeds begin to form.
Corona Petal-like or crown-like structures between the petals and stamens of some flowers.
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.
The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations