Capa means “cover” in Spanish. It is the wrapper: the leaf the smoker sees, the last leaf the roller stretches around the cigar, and a large part of the aroma you notice on a cold draw (a puff before lighting). Cuban factories and many New World factories still use the Spanish word.
Wrapper leaves are sorted into grades by size, elasticity, veins, and color. A leaf with a hole, or with a thick vein that would show through on the finished cigar, cannot be used as capa. It may still be used as capote (binder) or even as tripa (filler).
Color terms such as claro, colorado, maduro, oscuro, and candela describe the finished wrapper, not different types of tobacco plant.