2,112 articles
Chromolaena
Chromolaena (Siam weed, triffid weed) is a genus of 166 Asteraceae species native to tropical and subtropical America, split from Eupatorium in 1987; C. odorata is both a medicinal plant and a major invasive weed.
Chromolaena odorata
Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed, devil weed; formerly Eupatorium odoratum) is an Asteraceae shrub native to tropical America, invasive across Africa, Asia, and Australia, and a traditional medicinal plant for wounds and malaria.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum, or mums (菊花, Ju Hua), a genus of about 40 Asteraceae species native to temperate Eurasia; includes Chrysanthemum morifolium, the ancient Chinese medicinal, tea, and ornamental garden chrysanthemum with roughly 20,000 cultivars.
Chrysobalanaceae
Chrysobalanaceae (cocoa plum family), pantropical trees and shrubs in Malpighiales, about 500 species, mostly Neotropical; gynobasic style, drupaceous fruit, silica-rich wood; formerly placed in Rosaceae.
Chrysogonum virginianum
Chrysogonum virginianum (green-and-gold, goldenstar, golden knee) is a semi-evergreen Asteraceae perennial native to the eastern US, forming low yellow-flowered ground cover mats in USDA zones 5-9.
Chrysophyllum
Chrysophyllum (star apple genus), Sapotaceae family; evergreen tropical trees including C. cainito and C. albidum; golden-haired leaves, 5-merous flowers, edible berries, nyatoh timber; narrowed to 25-30 Neotropical species in 2023.
Cichorium
Cichorium (chicory, endive) is a genus of seven Asteraceae species native from Macaronesia and Africa to Central Asia; C. intybus and C. endivia are cultivated for salad leaves, roasted root coffee, and inulin.
Cicuta
Cicuta (water hemlock, cowbane) is a genus of four highly poisonous Apiaceae herbs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, containing the GABA-blocking convulsant cicutoxin concentrated in tuberous roots.
Cinchona
Cinchona, Andean Rubiaceae tree genus (quina, fever tree), source of quinine bark used against malaria since the 1630s; 24 species, Java plantations, 1942 Cinchona Missions.
Cinnamomum
Cinnamomum (laurel family genus, source of cinnamon, cassia and camphor): about 350 species of scented evergreen trees native to tropical and subtropical Asia and the western Pacific, taxonomically polyphyletic, with many threatened species.
Cinnamomum camphora
Cinnamomum camphora (樟), the camphor tree or camphor laurel, is an East Asian Lauraceae evergreen up to 30 m, the main natural source of camphor; now often treated as Camphora officinarum and invasive in Florida and Australia.
Cinnamomum cassia
Cinnamomum cassia, also called Cinnamomum aromaticum or Chinese cassia, is the laurel-family tree behind cassia cinnamon, the most common cinnamon in North America; bark oil is 70-95% cinnamaldehyde and coumarin content is the main safety concern.
Cinnamomum verum (කුරුඳු)
Cinnamomum verum (කුරුඳු), Ceylon or true cinnamon, is a laurel-family tree native to Sri Lanka and the main source of cinnamon spice, distinguished from cassia by trace coumarin levels and Sri Lanka's dominant export share.
Circaea
Circaea, enchanter's nightshade, is a Linnaean 1753 genus of Onagraceae herbs of the temperate Northern Hemisphere with 2-petaled, 2-stamened flowers and hooked-bristle bur fruits; sister to Fuchsia.
Cirsium
Cirsium, the plume thistles, is a genus of about 500 spiny Asteraceae herbs native from temperate Eurasia to North America; includes invasive Canada thistle (C. arvense) and bull thistle (C. vulgare) and many rare native species.
Cirsium arvense
Cirsium arvense, creeping or Canada thistle, is a dioecious perennial Asteraceae weed native to temperate Eurasia, introduced worldwide, that spreads via deep creeping roots and is notoriously hard to control.
Cirsium vulgare
Cirsium vulgare, bull thistle or spear thistle, is a spiny biennial Asteraceae herb native to Europe, western Asia, and NW Africa, reproducing only by seed, with over 4,000 seeds per plant, invasive in North America and Japan, edible roots and stems.
Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis (veldt grape, Hadjod, Asthisamharaka) is a climbing succulent in Vitaceae native from Africa to Myanmar, used in Ayurveda for bone fractures; clinical evidence supports fracture-related benefit but remains low certainty.
Cistaceae
Cistaceae, the rockrose family, is a Malvales family of eight genera and about 180 species of aromatic shrubs and herbs, concentrated in the Mediterranean, including Cistus, Helianthemum, Fumana, Halimium, and Tuberaria.
Cistanche
Cistanche (desert hyacinth, desert ginseng; Rou Cong Rong) is a genus of holoparasitic Orobanchaceae desert plants from Macaronesia to China, used for millennia in herbal medicine, taxonomically confused, with C. deserticola CITES-listed and cultivated in Inner Mongolia.
Cistus ladanifer
Cistus ladanifer, known as common gum cistus, gum rockrose, or jara, is a shrub native to the western Mediterranean whose sticky exudate, labdanum, is used as a fixative in perfumes.
Cistus monspeliensis
Cistus monspeliensis L. (Montpelier rock rose, estepa negra), a white-flowered Cistaceae shrub native to the Mediterranean and Macaronesia, introduced in California; drought semi-deciduous, fire-germinating, IUCN least concern, 2n=18.
Citrullus
Citrullus is a genus of seven African Cucurbitaceae species including the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), colocynth, citron melon, and egusi watermelon; the Kordofan melon is the watermelon's closest wild relative.
Citrullus colocynthis
Citrullus colocynthis, colocynth or bitter apple (alhandal, handal), a perennial desert cucurbit vine from Macaronesia to Myanmar; bitter fruits rich in cucurbitacins, used traditionally as a purgative and antidiabetic, but toxic with a narrow therapeutic index.
Citrus
Citrus is a Rutaceae genus of evergreen fruit trees (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins) native from the Himalaya to Japan and the SW Pacific; largest world fruit crop, now threatened by huanglongbing (citrus greening).
Citrus unshiu
Citrus unshiu (ウンシュウミカン), satsuma mandarin, is a seedless easy-peeling mandarin from China/Japan, the most cold-tolerant commercial citrus, Japan's top fruit crop with 617,100 tons in 2023 and over 100 cultivars.
Clausena
Clausena (Burm.f.), a genus of aromatic shrubs and trees in Rutaceae (citrus family) native from tropical Africa and Asia to Australia; includes wampee (Clausena lansium); known for carbazole alkaloids, coumarins, and essential oils.
Clavija
Clavija Ruiz & Pav. is a Neotropical genus of about 56-60 species of understory shrubs and treelets in Primulaceae (Theophrastoideae), ranging from Nicaragua to southern Brazil, with large leathery leaves, orange flowers, and fleshy fruits.
Claytonia
Claytonia (springbeauties) is a genus of about 33 Montiaceae herbs native to temperate Asia and North and Central America, named for botanist John Clayton; includes edible-tubered C. virginica and miner's lettuce C. perfoliata, moved from Portulacaceae by APG III in 2009.
Clematis vitalba
Clematis vitalba, old man's beard or traveller's joy, a deciduous Ranunculaceae climbing vine native from Europe to Afghanistan, creamy-white flowers and fluffy seed heads; invasive smothering weed in New Zealand and western North America.