180 GLOSSARY 



Bulb (Latin, bulbus, a bulb, or round root). Usually an under- 

 ground leaf-bud, containing reserves of plant food stored up in 

 thickened leaves, and protected on the outside by scale leaves. 

 Capillary (Latin, capillus, a hair). Hence any very fine threads, 



tubes or cavities. 

 Carbon (Latin, carbo, a cinder). The substance which forms a 



large proportion of all organic matter. 



Cereals (Latin, Ceres, the goddess of corn). A general name for 

 those grasses whose seeds are used as food, e.g., maize, rice, 

 and Guinea corn. 

 Chemical (Arabic, Kimia, the hidden art or science). The science 



which deals with the composition of matter. 

 Chlorophyll (Greek, chloros, pale green or grass-green ; phullon, 



leaf). Leaf-green. 



Chrysalis (Greek, chrysews, golden). The pupal stage (see Pupa) 

 of butterflies. So called because some chrysalides are golden 

 yellow in colour. 

 Cob The spike of the Indian corn (maize) plant, made up of rows of 



pistillate flowers which, when ripe, form the corn grains. 

 Combustion (Latin, combustum, a burn). The phenomenon of burn- 

 ing, in which the majority of substances unite with oxygen. 

 Cotyledon (Greek, kotuledon, a cup-like hollow). Seed-leaves. 

 Cultivation (Latin, cultus, a tending or taking care of a thing). 

 In agriculture the term denotes the operations of tillage where- 

 by the soil is brought into a condition suitable for the economic 

 production of crops. 



Dicotyledons (Greek, dis, two ; kotuledon^ cup-like hollow). A large 

 subdivision of flowering plants, the members of which have 

 embryos with two seed-leaves. For other characters see text. 

 Dormant (Latin, dormio, I sleep). Used to denote the resting 

 condition of parts of plants for instance, seeds when kept dry, 

 tubers before starting into growth, etc. 



Effervesce (Latin, effervesco, I foam up). Applied to a bubbling 

 action like that which takes place when an acid and a carbonate 

 come in contact. 

 Embryo (Greek, embnton}. Used botanically for the young plant 



present in a seed. 

 Fertility (Latin, fertilitas, fruitfulness). Used generally of soils. 



" Fertile " is usually applied to flowers. 



Fertilisation ( Latin, fertilisatio^ the making fruitful). The process 

 by which the contents of the pollen grain act on the ovules. 

 After fertilisation the ovules develop into seeds. 



