| Name | Structure/ Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bulbets | Small bulbs that are produced underground or above ground as an alternative to seeds. Above ground bulbs are produced in the inflorescence and are called "aerial bulbets." Such bulbets are often produced by some Allium spp. (Onions). | |
| Bulrushes | A common name that refers to species in the genus Scirpus. Because Scirpus spp. (Bulrushes) are members of the Cyperaceae (Sedge family), they are actually sedges, notwithstanding the common name. | |
| Bundle scar | A small scar within a leaf scar left by a vascular bundle that previously entered the stalk (petiole) or base of the fallen leaf. | |
| Bur | [Fruits] {type} | A cypsela or other fruit enclosed in a whorl of dry bracts (involucre) covered with spines or prickles that are often hooked, aiding in their dispersal by animals, as in cocklebur (Xanthium). |
| C3 Metabolism | Cool-season plants use a C3 metabolism to convert sunlight into carbohydrates using chlorophyll. They often grow best during the spring or fall when the weather is cool and moist. Most forbs and some grasses and sedges have a C3 metabolism. The chemical pathway of C3 metabolism is slightly different from that of C4 metabolism (see the description below). | |
| C4 Metabolism | Warm-season plants use a C4 metabolism to convert sunlight into carbohydrates using chlorophyll. These plants often grow best during the summer when the weather is warm and somewhat dry. Some grasses and most Cyperus spp. (Flat Sedges) have a C4 metabolism. The chemical pathway of C4 metabolism is slightly different from that of C3 metabolism (see the description above). | |
| Caducous | [Petals, Sepals, Stipules] {persistence} | Falling off very early, as stipules that drop soon after the leaf develops. |
| Calyx | The collective term for all of the sepals of a flower; the outer perianth whorl. | |
| CAM | Crassulacean Acid Metabolism | |
| Canescent | [Buds, Leaf lower surface, Leaf upper surface, Phyllaries, Sepals, Young twigs] {pubescence type} | Gray or white in color due to a covering of short, fine, gray or white hairs. |
