Glaucous
Encyclopedia
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull
(Larus hyperboreus), Glaucous-winged Gull
(Larus glaucescens), Glaucous Macaw
(Anodorhynchus glaucus), and Glaucous Tanager
(Thraupis glaucocolpa).
The term glaucous is also used botanically as an adjective
to mean "covered with a greyish, bluish, or whitish waxy
coating or bloom that is easily rubbed off" (e.g. glaucous leaves).
The first recorded use of glaucous as a color name in English was in the year 1671.
coating on mature plum
fruit gives them a glaucous appearance. Another familiar example is found in the common grape genus (Vitis vinifera
). Some cacti
have a glaucous coating on their stem(s). Glaucous coatings are hydrophobic, prevent wetting
by rain, and hinder climbing of leaves, stem or fruit by insects. On fruits, glaucous coatings may function as a deterrent to climbing and feeding by small insects in favor of increased seed dispersal offered by larger animals such as mammals and birds.
The blue-grey camouflage coloring of some species of birds and sea and land animals causes their appearance to blend with their surroundings, making their detection by predators difficult.
Glaucous Gull
The Glaucous Gull is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere and the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the USA, also on the Great...
(Larus hyperboreus), Glaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull residing from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California...
(Larus glaucescens), Glaucous Macaw
Glaucous Macaw
The Glaucous Macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus, is a large South American parrot. This macaw is critically endangered or possibly extinct. It is closely related to the Lear's Macaw A. leari and the Hyacinth Macaw A. hyacinthinus. In Guaraní, it was called guaa-obi after its...
(Anodorhynchus glaucus), and Glaucous Tanager
Glaucous Tanager
The Glaucous Tanager is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family. The term glaucous describes its colouration. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International...
(Thraupis glaucocolpa).
The term glaucous is also used botanically as an adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
to mean "covered with a greyish, bluish, or whitish waxy
Epicuticular wax
In botany, the plant cuticle is covered by epicuticular wax or bloom mainly consistingof straight-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons with a variety of substituted groups, serving to decrease moisture loss and decay...
coating or bloom that is easily rubbed off" (e.g. glaucous leaves).
The first recorded use of glaucous as a color name in English was in the year 1671.
Examples
The epicuticular waxEpicuticular wax
In botany, the plant cuticle is covered by epicuticular wax or bloom mainly consistingof straight-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons with a variety of substituted groups, serving to decrease moisture loss and decay...
coating on mature plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
fruit gives them a glaucous appearance. Another familiar example is found in the common grape genus (Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
). Some cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
have a glaucous coating on their stem(s). Glaucous coatings are hydrophobic, prevent wetting
Wetting
Wetting is the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface, resulting from intermolecular interactions when the two are brought together. The degree of wetting is determined by a force balance between adhesive and cohesive forces.Wetting is important in the bonding or adherence of...
by rain, and hinder climbing of leaves, stem or fruit by insects. On fruits, glaucous coatings may function as a deterrent to climbing and feeding by small insects in favor of increased seed dispersal offered by larger animals such as mammals and birds.
The blue-grey camouflage coloring of some species of birds and sea and land animals causes their appearance to blend with their surroundings, making their detection by predators difficult.