Kids Encyclopedia

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 …

Cottonwood — The cottonwoods are three species of poplars in the section Aegiros of the genus Populus, native to North America, Europe and western Asia. The name is also commonly used for any species of poplar in the United States, including some poplars not in the section Aegiros, notably the Swamp cottonwood Populus heterophylla (in the section Leucoides) and the …

Cosmos — Cosmos is a genus of about 20-26 species of annual and perennial plants in the family Asteraceae, native to scrub and meadow areas in Mexico (where the bulk of the species occur), the southern United States (Arizona, Florida), Central America and northern South America south to Paraguay. A cosmos flower is said to represent the ‘heart of a …

Corn — Maize, usually called corn in some countries, is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica and then spread throughout the American continents. Maize spread to the rest of the world after European contact with the Americas in the late 15th century and early 16th century. The term maize derives from the Spanish form (maíz) of the indigenous …

Cork Tree — Phellodendron or Cork-tree, is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Rutaceae, native to east and northeast Asia. It has leathery, pinnate leaves and yellow, clumped flowers. The name refers to the thick and corky bark of some (but not all) species in the genus. As an ornamental plant, Phellodendron is a tree for all seasons. …