Editing Cumulus cloud (section)

=== Subforms ===
[[File:Cumulusmediocrissweden.jpg|thumb|''Cumulus mediocris'' clouds over [[Sweden]]]]
Cumulus clouds come in four distinct species, ''cumulus humilis'', ''mediocris'', ''congestus'', and ''fractus''. These species may be arranged into the variety, ''cumulus radiatus''; and may be accompanied by up to seven supplementary features, ''cumulus pileus'', ''velum'', ''virga'', ''praecipitatio'', ''arcus'', ''pannus'', and ''tuba''.<ref name="WMO"/><ref name="Pretor-Pinney17">{{harvnb|Pretor-Pinney|2007|p=17}}</ref>

The species ''Cumulus fractus'' is ragged in appearance and can form in clear air as a precursor to cumulus humilis and larger cumulus species-types; or it can form in precipitation as the supplementary feature ''pannus'' (also called [[Scud (cloud)|scud]]) which can also include stratus fractus of bad weather.<ref>{{cite web|title=L7 Clouds: Stratus fractus (StFra) and/or Cumulus fractus (CuFra) bad weather|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/l7.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118151256/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/l7.htm|archive-date=18 January 2012|access-date=11 February 2013|work=JetStream - Online School for Weather: Cloud Classifications|publisher=National Weather Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|editor-first=Michael |editor-last=Allaby|encyclopedia=A Dictionary of Ecology|title=Pannus |edition=4th|year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-956766-9|doi=10.1093/acref/9780199567669.001.0001}}</ref> ''Cumulus humilis'' clouds look like puffy, flattened shapes. ''Cumulus mediocris'' clouds look similar, except that they have some vertical development. ''Cumulus congestus'' clouds have a cauliflower-like structure and tower high into the atmosphere, hence their alternate name "towering cumulus".<ref name="TWC" /> The variety ''Cumulus radiatus'' forms in radial bands called cloud streets and can comprise any of the four species of cumulus.<ref name="Pretor-Pinney20">{{harvnb|Pretor-Pinney|2007|p=20}}</ref>

Cumulus supplementary features are most commonly seen with the species congestus. ''Cumulus virga'' clouds are cumulus clouds producing [[virga]] (precipitation that evaporates while aloft), and ''cumulus praecipitatio'' produce precipitation that reaches the Earth's surface.<ref name="Dunlop77-78">{{harvnb|Dunlop|2003|pp=77&ndash;78}}</ref> ''Cumulus pannus'' comprise shredded clouds that normally appear beneath the parent cumulus cloud during precipitation. ''Cumulus arcus'' clouds have a [[gust front]],<ref name="Ludlum473">{{harvnb|Ludlum|2000|p=473}}</ref> and ''cumulus tuba'' clouds have [[funnel clouds]] or [[tornado]]es.<ref name="Dunlop79">{{harvnb|Dunlop|2003|p=79}}</ref> ''Cumulus pileus'' clouds refer to cumulus clouds that have grown so rapidly as to force the formation of [[Pileus (meteorology)|pileus]] over the top of the cloud.<ref>{{harvnb|Garrett et al.|2006|page=i}}</ref> ''Cumulus velum'' clouds have an ice crystal veil over the growing top of the cloud.<ref name="WMO">{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/Clouds_WMO.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050226160200/http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/Clouds_WMO.pdf |archive-date=2005-02-26 |url-status=live|access-date=18 October 2012|title=WMO classification of clouds|publisher=World Meteorological Organization}}</ref>
There are also cumulus cataractagenitus, which are formed by waterfalls.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cataractagenitus |url=https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/cataractagenitus.html |publisher=International Cloud Atlas}}</ref>