Column. — Within the urn or capsule of the mosses, and in the 
direction of its longitudinal axis, there is situated a 
slender and cylindrical substance, which seems to be a 
prolongation of the pedicle. This organ is denomi- 
nated the column, and its summit, which surmounts 
the urn, was regarded by Kedwig, as the style of the 
mosses. 
Complete Flowers. — A simple flower furnished with both 
calyx and corolla, is called a complete flower, as in 
Datura Stramonium. 
Composite Organs. — Vegetable organs, which are resolvable 
immediately into organs deemed elementary, and which 
may be regarded as exhibiting the first degree of com- 
plexity, are said to be compound or composite. The 
ligneous and the cortical layers, the pith and the epi- 
dermis are examples. 
Compound Flowers — Compound flowers consist of numerous 
florets, all sessile or seated on a common undivided 
receptacle, and inclosed in one continuous calyx. It 
is also essential to this kind of flower, that the anthers 
be united into the form of a cylinder. The Leonto- 
don Taraxacum, Tussilago Farfara, Anthemis nobilis, 
and others, have compound flowers. 
Concentric Layers. — The concentric layers of the vegetable 
structure, are peculiar to plants of exogenous growth, 
and are either cortical or ligneous. 
Conjugate. — Applied to leaves consisting of one pair of leaflets 
Connate. — When leaves are united at their base, so as to ap- 
pear but one leaf. 
Connectivum. — The organ that unites the two cells of the an- 
ther, is denominated the connectivum. 
Conservative Organs. — Organs whose functions regard 
merely the growth and health of the plant, as opposed 
to those which regard the re-production of the species, 
are by some phytologists denominated conservative 
organs. Mr. Burnett calls them nutrients. 
Consumption. — From barren or improper soil, unfavourable 
climate, careless planting, or too frequent flowering, 
which exhausts the strength of the plant, a diseased 
state of organs is often induced, with gradual wasting 
away of vitality, which terminates ultimately in the 
death of the individual, It is with sufficient propriety 
denominated consumption. The Pine tree is liable 
to an affection of this sort that is known by the name 
ofTeredo Pinorum. Willd. Prin. 351. 
Contortion. — The leaves of plants are often injured, by means 
of the puncture of insects, particularly of the genus 
aphis, so as to induce a sort of disease that discovers 
itself in the irregular convolution of the leaf, punc- 
tured or in the wrinkled aspect of its upper surface, 
this is the disease called contortion. 
Cordate. — Heart-shaped, when a leaf is hollowed at the base 
into two lobes and pointed at the apex. 
Coriaceous. — When a part is thick, tough, and elastic. 
Cormus. — That portion of a bulb, having the figure of a flat- 
tened disk, or of a depressed cone, which remains with 
the radical fibres attached to it, or protruding from it, 
after the coats or scales have been stripped off, is by 
most of our modern botanists, denominated a cormus. 
It is equivalent to the Plateau of M. Decandoile, and 
is all that many bulbous plants have to show for a 
stem. Dr. Lindley restricts its application to what has 
been called a solid bulb, which appellation he would 
discard entirely from the language of botany. 
Corolla. — The corolla is the interior envelope of the flower, — 
that is, where two envelopes are present, — investing 
the central parts, and invested by the calyx. It is 
generally of a finer and more delicate texture than the 
calyx, and is of all the parts of the fructification the 
most showy and ornamental, — being always, or with 
few exceptions, that which is the most highly co- 
loured, as well as that from which the flower imparts 
its rich and fragrant perfumes — its croceos odores — 
delighting at the same time both the sight and the 
smell. To this most elegant part of fructification, 
the term corolla has been very happily applied by 
Linnaeus, signifying, as it does in the original, a crown 
or chaplet of flowers. 
Cotyledons. — The cotyledons or seed lobes are appendages 
of the embryo, enclosing or accompanying the tender 
plantlet, and containing its first nutriment. 
Corymb. — A species of inflorescence in which the peduncles 
issue at different points of a common and longitu- 
dinal axis ; but the lower ones being longer, the 
flowers still exhibit a flat and level surface, as in Pyrus 
aucuparia. 
Crenate. — When the margin of a leaf is notched in round 
forms, not directed to either end of the leaf. 
Crenulated. — When the crenatures are very shallow, and at 
the same time perfect. 
Cryptogamous Plants. — Plants whose organs of fructifica- 
tion are not visible except through the aid of glasses 
are said to be cryptogamous. They constitute the last 
class of the system of Linnaeus, and the first of the 
system of Jussieu; the cryptogamia of the former, the 
acotyledones of the latter. 
Cucullated. — Hooded. When one part grows over another, so 
as to form a hood or covering. 
Culm. — The stalk or stem of the grasses is the culm of botanists. 
It is jointed and hollow, as in wheat and oats ; or with- 
out joints, but containing a pith, as in Juncus effusus. 
Cups and Saucers. — On the tlialia or fronds of the Lichens 
there are generally to be found certain organs con- 
taining a powdery substance, analogous to the pollen 
or to the seeds of perfect plants. These organs, from 
the forms which they assume, have been called by va- 
rious names, shields, targets, warts, tubercles; or more 
vulgarly, cups and saucers. 
Curtain or Veil. — Of the cap-bearing fungi, the greater 
part are furnished with a fine, delicate, and cobweb- 
looking membrane, called the veil, or curtain, attach- 
ed on one hand to the circumference of the pileus, 
and on the other to the circumference of the stem, 
enclosing and protecting the gills. It may be very 
distinctly seen in the common mushroom, at an early 
period of its growth. 
Cuspidate. — Mucronate. — Terminating in a rigid spine. 
Cyme. — The cyme or tuft, is a species of inflorescence, some- 
what resembling the umbel, as in Viburnum Opulus. 
Decomposite Organs. — If compound organs are divisible in- 
to component organs which are themselves compound, 
they are said to be decomposite, as exhibiting the high- 
est degree of organic complexity. Thus the root, 
trunk, and branches, are decomposite organs, as con- 
sisting of bark, wood, and pith, which are themselves 
compound or composite organs, in a lower degree. 
Deciduous. — Applied to parts which fall off after they have 
performed the offices for which they are destined. 
Decurrent. — When the flat part of a leaf runs down the stem 
or branch. 
Decussated. — Parts in pairs alternately crossing each other. 
Degeneration. — In morphology, when an organ is not com- 
pletely suppressed by abortion, but only imperfectly 
developed or peculiarly modified, it is said to have 
come so by degeneration ; as in the case of stamens 
changing to leaves, or to glands. 
Dehiscent. — Some fruits or pericarps, when mature, open of 
their own accord, and discharge the seeds; and such 
are said to be dehiscent. 
Detached Calyx. — When the calyx includes the ovary with- 
out adhering to it, it is said, in the language of bota- 
nists, to be detached, hence the detached calyx is the 
same with the inferior calyx. 
Dichotomous. — Divided into two branches. 
Dicotyledonous — Plants whose seeds have two or more 
cotyledons. 
