Plants & Trees Encyclopedia

Cyclamen — Cyclamen is a genus of 20 species of flowering plants, traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae, but in recent years reclassified in the family Myrsinaceae. The genus is most widely known by its scientific name cyclamen being taken into common usage; other names occasionally used include sowbread and sometimes, confusingly, persian violet (it is not related to the …

Cycad — Cycads are a group of seed plants characterized by a large crown of compound leaves and a stout trunk. They are evergreen, gymnospermous, dioecious plants having large pinnately compound leaves. They are frequently confused with and mistaken for palms or ferns, but are related to neither, belonging to the division Cycadophyta. Cycads are found across much of the …

Custard Apple — The Custard-apple (Annona reticulata), known in English as bullock’s heart or bull’s heart, in Haiti as “Kashiman”, in French as “Cashiman” in Hindi as sitaphal or Sita’s fruit and in Urdu as “Shareefah”, in Thai as “Noi-na,” is a species of Annona, native to the tropical New World, preferring a low elevation, and a warm, humid climate. …

Currant — The currant is a hardy shrub in the genus Ribes, of the family Saxifraga. The genus includes about 150 species, of which the European black currant and the red currant are most important in cultivation. The European black currant is an alternate host for white pine blister rust, and planting is prohibited in many states to protect white …

Cucumber — The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up trellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around ribbing with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form …

Crown-of-Thorns — Crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii or Christ Plant) is a species of Euphorbia native to Madagascar. It is a succulent climbing shrub growing to 1.8 m tall, with densely spiny stems, the straight, slender spines up to 3 cm long, which help it scramble over other plants. It is a succulent climbing shrub growing to 1.8 m tall, with densely …

Croton — Croton is an extensive plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae established by Carolus Linnaeus in 1737. The common names for this genus are rushfoil and croton, but this latter also refers to Codiaeum variegatum. The genus name comes from Greek Kroton, which means ticks, because of the seeds’ resemblance to ticks. The best known member of this genus …

Crotalaria — Crotalaria is a genus of herbaceous plants and woody shrubs in the Family Fabaceae (Subfamily Faboideae) commonly know as rattlepods. Some 600 or more species of Crotalaria are described world-wide, mostly from the tropics; at least 500 species are known from Africa. Some species of Crotalaria are grown as ornamentals. The common name rattlepod or rattlebox is derived …

Crocus — Crocus (plural: crocus, crocuses) is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe (including the islands of the Aegean), North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China. The genus Crocus is placed botanically in the iris family (Iridaceae). The plants grow …

Cowpea — The Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is one of several species of the widely cultivated genus Vigna. Cowpeas are one of the most important food legume crops in the semi-arid tropics covering Asia, Africa, southern Europe and Central and South America. A drought tolerant and warm weather crop, cowpeas are well-adapted to the drier regions of the tropics, where other …