A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

-aster,-tri (s.m.II), also -astrum,-tri (s.n.II): a noun suffix of the second declension, used in English to form diminutive, or poor or incomplete, or pejorative nouns (as of someone pretending to be someone they are not); “a Latin suffix denoting partial resemblance: one that is inferior, worthless, or not genuine” (WIII).

“the nouns classically are usually masculine, but occasionally there are feminine and neuter noun-forms [i.e. -astra,-ae (s.f.I), or -astrum,-i (s.n.II)]. The overriding sense in classical Latin is pejorative” (Glare 2006).

NOTE: not aster,-eris (s.m.III), q.v., a third declension noun meaning ‘star;’ in Gk. comp. –aster,-eris (s.m.III) > Gk. astEr: star, especially compounds in which the genus name ‘Aster’ is the suffix. [note that the –e- before the –r- is retained in all these third declension case inflections, unlike the second declension suffix –aster, in which the –e- is elided (see paradigm below).

NOTE: also not gaster, q.v., gen.sg. gasteris (s.[m.]f.III), belly, stomach.

“only around 50 such uses of this suffix (-aster,-tri (s.m.II), for both nouns and adjectives, are known from Latin sources dating from the third century BC to the late seventh century AD...” (Everett). (in pseudoGalen) “Used once as a noun, 20 x as adjectives in Galen” (Everett).

NOTE: epithets ending in –astra are usually adjectives (-aster,-astra,-astrum (adj.A)).

NOTE: -astra,-ae (s.f.I) is seldom used, but is apparently legitimate, hence Classical Latin ‘matrastra,-ae (s.f.I),’ a step-mother, used like Classical noverca,-ae (s.f.I), a step-mother; also classically filiastra,-ae (s.f.I) = privigna, a step daughter.

NOTE: the formation of a neuter noun, e.g. in the formation of generic names, seems to be peculiar to botanical Latin. This may be due to avoidance of the confusion of (generic) compounds using the third declension noun ‘aster,-eris (s.m.III), for the genus ‘Aster.’

    singular  plural        singular  plural

Nom.  –aster  -astri       pinaster  pinastri     (s.m.II)
Gen.  –astri  -astrorum    pinastri  pinastrorum
Dat.  –astro  -astris      pinastro  pinastris
Acc.  –astrum –astros      pinastrum pinastros
Abl.  –astro  -astris      pinastro  pinastris

NOTE: pinaster,-tri (s.m.II) is a classical word, not a generic name. It may be used as an epithet as a noun in apposition to the generic name.

Pinus pinaster Aiton, Maritime or Cluster pine, used by Pliny for a “wild” pine vs. e.g. Pinus pinea (cultivated pine); pinaster,-,-tri (s.m.II), abl.sg. pinastro “the maritime pine, Pinus pinaster” (Glare);

- Pinastro genus nova similis, new genus similar to Pinaster.

NOTE: the elision of the ‘e’ before the ‘r’ in grammatical cases other than masculine nominative singular.

1. NOUN SUFFIX (see ‘adjective suffix’ below; masculine (-aster,-tri (s.m.II) or neuter (-astrum,-i (s.n.II) (also senses in adjective suffixes –aster,-astra,-astrum (adj.A), see below):

After Stearn & Everett, generally:

1. incomplete likeness; as in a hybrid;

filiaster,-tri s.m.II = privignus, a step-son (almost a son etc.); filiastra,-ae (s.f.I) = privigna, a step daughter; matrastra,-ae (s.f.I), mother-in-law, step-mother; not quite a mother; pateraster,-astri (s.m.II): father-in-law, step-father (Wiktionary), ‘not quite’ a father.

[moss] Polytrichastrum,-i (s.n.II)= genus Polytrichum + Latin –astrum = incomplete resemblance to the genus Polytrichum.

2. incompleteness (cf. sub-, hypo-), somewhat;

e.g. claudaster,-tri (s.m.II): one who is a little or somewhat lame [> L. claudus,-a,-um (adj.A), limping, halting, lame; crippled, imperfect; defective] (Lewis & Short); pueraster,-tri (s.m.II), a stout lad: not quite a youth (i.e. any more), having attained the age of boyhood or youth; to grow young again, false youth; recalvaster,-tri (s.m.II), “that has a bald forehead, bald in front; > recalvus,-a,-um (adj.A), bald in front, (of persons) with a bald forehead; surdaster,-tri (s.m.II): somewhat deaf person, rather hard of hearing, compared with surdus, ‘deaf.’

NOTE: Dillenius: the genus Lichen = the thalloid Liverworts (Dillenius: Flora of Giessen); the genus Lichenastrum, ‘incomplete resemblance to the genus Lichen’ = the foliose Liverworts.

3. inferiority, inadequacy;

palliastrum,-i (s.n.II): a poor cloak (pallium,-i (s.n.II), the oblong cloth worn by men draped over their shoulders + -ium) (Lewis & Short).

NOTE: the meaning in English of nouns using the suffix –aster (pl.-asters) to suggest diminution or pretense:

Poet + -aster > poetaster, pl. poetasters: unskilled or untalented poet.

Critic + -aster > criticaster, pl. criticasters: a petty or mean critic.

Pila,-ae (s.f.I) a pier or pillar built into a wall + -aster > pilaster, pl. pilasters, a decorative architectural element built into a wall and resembling a supporting column (pillar) = a false pillar.

4. may be used to distinguish a wild, undomesticated, uncultivated from a cultivated kind or variant, as the adj. ‘sylvestris,-tre (adj.B),’ q.v.; approximation is indicated in uses suggesting a wild variety, ‘a kind of,’ “a sort of,’ ‘a type of;’ implying an inferiority, as opp. the improved or cultivated variety;

[CLASSICAL NOUNS referring to plants]

alicastrum,-i (s.n.II), a type of spelt (alica), specifically “summer’ spelt (Glare); apiastrum,-i (s.n.II), a type of wild parsley (apium, celery); halicastrum,-i (s.n.II), abl.sg. halicastro, “an early-ripening variety of emmer” (Glare); lotaster,-tri (s.m.II), abl.sg. lotastro, > lotos and lotus (s.f.II) = Gk. lOtos = “various trees, plants: the Egyptian water-lily” + -aster,-tri (s.m.II) > the wild lotus (Lewis & Short); see lotus,-i (s.m.II); mentastrum, a type of mint (menta), wild mint, from menta, also mentha, ‘mint’; oleaster,-tri (s.m.II) and also oleastrum,-i (s.n.II), wild olive, from olea,-ae (s.f.I), cultivated olive; pinaster,-tri (s.m.II), wild pine, from pinus,-i (s.f.II), pine, particularly the stone-pine with edible seeds.

5. [particularly in English words] definitely derogatory or pejorative in such words as formaster,‘dandy’ [> L. formaster,-tri (s.m.II) a kind of pastry (Glare)]; grammaticaster [a petty grammarian; a grammatical pedant or pretender "My noble neophyte; my little grammaticaster" B. Johnson); philosophaster (would-be philosopher; = not classical). The suffix roughly = prefix ‘pseud-‘ or ‘pseudo-.’

[classical] Antoniaster (would-be Antony; “an imitator of M. Antonius (the orator)” (Glare); parasitaster,-tri (s.m.II) [parasitus,-i (s.m.II)], “a parasite, a hanger-on” (Glare)].

With the sense of ‘false:’ verticillaster (Eng.noun; botany), a false whorl, composed of a pair of opposed cymes, as in Labiates (Jackson): verticillaster, gen. sg. verticillastri (s.m.II), abl. sg. verticillastro, nom. pl. verticillastri, dat. & abl. pl. verticillastris.

6. also suffix with a diminutive sense, suggesting smallness, roughly akin to –(i)ellus,-a,-um (adj.A), e.g.

catulaster,-tri (s.m.II), also catlaster,-tri (s.m.II), catula,-ae (s.f.I) or catulus,-i (s.m.II): the young of animals, a whelp (as of swine, panthers, lions, tigers, cats, wolbes, bears, serpents); a puppy (after Lewis & Short);

pullastra,-ae (s.f.I): a young hen, a pullet > pullus,-i a young animal; a chicken. [Holosticha pullaster (a ciliated protozoan); cf. pullus,-a,-um (adj.A) drab-colored, dingy = ‘somewhat dingy,’ on analogy with classical fulvaster,-tra,-trum adj.A (fulvus), ‘somewhat yellow;’ (Lewis & Short).

NOTE: both a noun and an adjective.

Holosticha,-ae (s.f.I) is a feminine noun and should be modified by ‘pullastra’ (unless a masculine noun in apposition). Note: pullus,-i (s.m.II), a young animal, a young, e.g. a foal; also pullus,-a,-um (adj.A): pure (Lewis & Short).

7. The suffix may indicate a likeness, similarity, approximation, incomplete resemblance:

NOTE: Dillenius: the genus Lichen = the thalloid Liverworts (Dillenius: Flora of Giessen); Lichenastrum = the foliose Liverworts [Lichens proper = Lichenoides, that is, ‘resembling thalloid liverworts’].

An iron tool, the falcastrum” because of its similarity to a scythe [falx] (Everett p. 97). Filiaster (stepson, someone like a son); patraster (stepfather, like a father); matraster (stepmother).

[BOTANICAL NOUNS (GENERA)]:

Generic names ending in –aster,-tri (s.m.II) –astrum,-tri (s.n.II) [meaning 'a kind of', an incomplete or false resemblance; in generic names the first element is usually the genus to which the specified genus is wild or inferior, such as smaller or lesser]: second declension usually masculine nouns; note the elision of the 'e' before the ending;

Cotoneaster,-tri (s.m.II), Medikus, abl.sg. Cotoneastro (Rosaceae]: cotoneaster; the epithets end in masculine endings: C. distichus, C. tomentosus, C. frigidus [cf. L. cotonea,-ae (s.f.I) “a plant, wallwort, comfrey, black briony;” malum cotoneum, also cotoneum,-ei (s.n.II), a quince, also a quince-tree (Lewis & Short); = Latin ‘quince-like,’ from the similarity of leaves of some species” (Bailey); perhaps from Cydonia,-ae (s.f.I) Miller, “Quince,” > L. cydonia,-orum (pl.n.II),-orum, a quince or quince-apple; also malum cydonium, a quince (Lewis & Short; Glare). Cotoneaster Ehrh. "New Latin, implying resemblance to the quince, from cotonea, quince, and the suffix -aster, a kind of" (Fernald 1950).

NOTE: cotoneaster is not a classical noun.

- ab Cotoneastro racemifloro differt, it differs from Cotoneaster racemiflorus.

Oleaster,-tri Heist. ex Fabr.(s.m.II), abl.sg. Oleastro, Russian olive [= Elaegnus angustifolia] (Elaeagnaceae]; Olea oleaster Hoffmannis & Link, Wild Olive (‘oleaster’ appears to be a noun in apposition here because it is masculine although it modifies a feminine noun (Olea,-ae (s.f.I) and would be oleastra if an adjective).

NOTE: the cultivated olive = Olea europea.

NOTE: oleaster is a classical noun; also oleastrum,-i (s.n.II), abl.sg. oleastro: the oleaster (Lewis & Short).

BOTANICAL GENERA (NEUTER, GENERIC NAMES): practical use of the neuter gender suffix in botany may help to avoid confusion with compounds in the genus Aster,-eris (s.m.III), q.v., a third declension noun);

The genus Barbulastrum,-i (s.n.II), incomplete resemblance to the genus Barbula.

The genus Brachytheciastrum,-i (s.n.II), incomplete resemblance to the genus Brachythecium.

The genus Capparidastrum = neuter suffix > Capparis,-idis (s.f.III), incomplete resemblance to the genus Capparis.

The genus Liliastrum Fabr.; Liliastrum Link. (Liliaceae). Paradisea Liliastrum (Asparagaceae)].

The genus Polytricastrum, incomplete resemblance to the genus Polytrichum.

The genus Spergulastrum,-i (s.n.II), resembling the genus Spergula (Caryophyllaceae).

NOTE: Bailey wrote Hippeastrum Herb.(Amarylliaceae) “from the Greek 'knight' or horse, and star 'of no obvious application' p. 180. However, the suffix suggests incomplete resemblance, not ‘aster,-eris (s.m.III),’ star.

- ‘Panicastrella’ dicitur quasi planta ad Panicum accedens (Mich.), the plant is called ‘Panicastrella’ as if it approaches in resemblance to [the genus] Panicum [= dim. of Panicastrum], note the suggestion of ‘falseness’ (as if it were approaching, but not reaching (approaches in resemblance), hence –astrum and the diminutive –ella.

- Bellidiastrum Scop. (also Bellidiastrum Cass.; Bellidiastrum Less.; Bellidiastrum Scop; Bellidiastrum Vaill.) > the genus Bellis,-idis L.(s.f.III) (Asteraceae) [> L. bellis,-is (s.f.III) “a flower, perhaps daisy” (Glare)].

The common name of Bellidiastrum is “False Aster.” Here “astrum” does not refer to the noun “aster,” but the suffix –astrum,-i (s.n.II) and indicates an incomplete resemblance to the genus Bellis,-idis (s.f.III).

NOTE: Used as noun in apposition: Osmites bellidastrum; Aster bellidiastrum, False Aster; Brachyaster bellidiastrum Ambrosi; Erigeron bellidiastrum var. arenarius; E. bellidiastrum var. robustus.

NOTE: the var. is masculine, as it modifies the masc. generic noun, the species epithet neuter, as it is a neuter noun); in Erigeron bellidiastrum var. bellidiastrum, both species epithet and the variety are nouns in apposition.

2. ADJECTIVE SUFFIX (compare ‘noun suffix’ above): -aster,-astra,-astrum (adj.A); –aster (m.), -astra (f.), -astrum (n)].

NOTE: declined like pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum (adj.A): beautiful.

NOTE: here –astra, as modifying a feminine noun, is often encountered; Verticordia rutilastra [> rutilus,-a,-um (adj.A), somewhat glowing red]. marrubiaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): resembling marrubium, the herb horehound, Marrubium vulgare]: Hyptis marrubiastra.

This suffix suggests the same meanings as in the noun suffix: e.g. expressing half, partial, or incomplete resemblance to the root word meaning; hence in some cases may be pejorative, e.g. adjectives of bodily defects (calvaster, claudaster, mancaster, surdaster, canaster (Everett)).

- cepastrum, ‘onion-like’ (in smell) (Everett).

- novellaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A), rather new, somewhat new [> L. novellus,-a,-um (adj.A), young, (somewhat) new > dim. novus,-a,-um (adj.A): young, new (Lewis & Short); also the adj. novellaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): ‘rather new’ (Lewis & Short); vinum novellastrum.

- pallidaster,-ra,-rum (adj.A), somewhat pale (pallidus);

- pulveraster,-ra,-rum (adj.A), rather powdery, dusty;

- spicastrum ‘like spikenard’ (in taste).

COLORS:

canaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A) = Gk. mizopolios, half-gray, grizzled (Lewis & Short), after ‘canus,-a,-um,’ a gray-white.

cineraster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): ‘like ash;’ > cinis,-eris (s.m.III), abl. sg. cinere: ash, ashes.

fulvaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A) yellowish [> fulvus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v.] (Lewis & Short).

Floribundaria fulvastra; Papillaria fulvastra; radix fulvastra, a yellowish root.

porphyraster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): porphyrus, purple = purplish, somewhat purple: Euphorbia porphyrastra.

rubeaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): reddish, somewhat red (rubeus,-a,-um (adj.A).

rutilaster,-ra,-rum (adj.A) > rutilus,-a,-um (adj.A), somewhat glowing red]; subrufaster,-ra,-rum (adj.A), slightly reddish: Verticordia rutilastra.

rubraster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): somewhat red [> ruber,-bra,-brum (adj.A): Loasa rubrastra (Loasaceae).

GENERA used in epithets:

Davejonesia lichenastra, = Dendrobium lichenastrum (Orchidaceae), a plant resembling a lichen, growing in dense patches on rocks, boulders, cliff faces.

Euphorbia cornastra, = Poinsettia cornastra, Dogwood Poinsettia, with flowers resembling those of the genus Cornus.

marrubiaster,-tra,-trum (adj.A): resembling marrubium, the herb horehound, Marrubium vulgare]: Hyptis marrubiastra.

Trianthema (s.n.III) portulacastrum L. “with flowers of Portulaca, purslane” (Fernald 1950).