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[-Home-] Roots: C


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caes-
referring to the color blue (caesia)
caespi-
tufted, growing in a clump (cespitosus)
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 (Euphoria = carried well)
cambr-
referring to Wales
campan-
referring to a bell (Campanula) (campanulatum)
campestr-
referring to fields (campestris)
canal-
referring to lines, grooves (canaliculatus)
canariensis
referring to the Canary Islands - native to
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)
capr-
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, refer- ring 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
referring to China
chit-
referring to a covering, a cloak (Rhodochiton = rosy covering)
-chlamy(...)
referring to clothes (chlamydea = clothed, covered)
chlor-
referring to the color green (chloranthus = green- flowered)
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- / cleis-
closed (Cleisostoma = closed mouth, referring to the flower shape / Cleistocactus = closed + cactus)
clin-
inclined (Clinostigma = inclined stigma)
clyt-
beautiful, marvelous (Clytostoma = beautiful mouth, re- ferring to the flaring, trumpet-shaped flowers of this genus)
cocc-
referring to a seed or berry (coccifera = bearing berries / Chiococca = snow berry)
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)
caerul-
bluish (cerulea as in Passiflora caerulea, the mostly blue-flowered Passion Vine / caerulescens / caeruleus)
caes-
referring to the color blue-gray (caesium)
caespitos-
tufted, clumped (caespitosus)
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)
corn-
referring to a horn (tereticornis = cylindrical- horned / cornuta)
coron-
referring to a crown (coronata coronaria)
cors-
referring to Corsica (corsicus)
cort-
referring to 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 immense members 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 whose leaves are, in general, concave)
-cotyl(...)
referring to a cup
crass-
thick (Crassulaceae, a whole family of succulent (thick- stemmed) plants, which includes the genus Crassula) (crassifolia = thick-leaved)
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 (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-like)
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- / cyn-
referring to a swan (cygniformis / Polycynis = many 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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Last updated on 10/14/94