DES 193 
Cu’bit. A measure from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. 
Cucul‘late. Hooded or cowled, rolled or folded in, as in the spatha of 
the Arum or wild turnip. 
Cucurbita’ceous. Resembling gourds or melons. 
Cu’linary. Suitable for preparations of food. 
Culm or straw, (from the Greek kalama, stubble or straw; in Latin 
culmus.) ‘The stem of grasses, Indian corn, sugar cane, &c. 
Culmif’erous. Having culms; as wheat, grasses, &c. 
Cune’iform. Wedge-form, with the stalk attached to the point. 
Curv’ed. Bent inwards. See Incurved. 
Cus’pidale. Having a sharp straight point. (The eye tooth is easp- 
date. 
Culticl, The outside skin of a plant, commonly thin, resembling the 
searf or outer skin of animals. It is considered as forming a part of 
the bark. 
Cya’neus. Blue. 
Cy'athiform. Shaped like a common wine glass. 
Cylin’drical. A circular shaft of nearly equal dimensions throughout 
its extent. 
Cyme. Flower stalks arising from a common centre, afterwards va- 
riously sub-divided. a 
De’bilis. Weak, feeble. 
Decan’drous. Plants with ten stamens in each flower. 
Decaphyl’lus. ‘Ten leaved. 
Decid’wous. Falling off in the usual season ; opposed to persistent and 
evergreen, more durable than caducous. 
Decir’ned. Curved downwards. 
Decomposi’tion. Separation of the chemica elements of bodies. 
Decom’pound. ‘T'wice compound, composed of compound parts. __ 
Decum‘bent. Leaning upon the ground, the base being erect.—This 
term is applied to stems, stamens, &c. 
Decur’rent. When the edges of a leaf run down the stem or stalk. 
Decus’sated. In pairs, crossing each other. 
Defected. Bent off. 
Defolia’tion. Shedding leaves in the proper season. 
Dehis’cent. Gaping, or opening—Most capsules when ripe are dehis- 
cent. 
Del’toid. Nearly triangular, or diamond form, as in the leaves of the _ 
Lombardy poplar. 
Demer’sus. Under water. 
Dense. Close, compact. 
Den‘tate. 'Toothed; edged with sharp projections; larger than serrate. 
Dentic’wlate. Minutely toothed. 
Denu’date. Plants whose flowers appear befcre the leaves; appearing 
naked. 
Deor’sum. Downwards. 
Depres’sed. Fiattened, or pressed at the top. 
Descrip’tions. In giving a complete description of a plant, the order of 
nature is to begin with the root, proceed to the stem, branches, lea ves, 
appendages, and lastly to the organs which compose the flower, and 
the manner of inflorescence. Colour and size are circumstances 
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