A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

-escens,-entis (adj. or part.B): Eng. verb suffix –escent; “a termination equivalent to the English -ish; thus, rubescens = reddish” (Lindley); present active participial ending “indicates process of becoming, hence a not fully achieved or attained resemblance, often expressed in English by the termination ‘-ish’; verb base, usually itself with a noun or adjectival base; e.g. senescens, becoming aged (from senescere, to grow old, from senex, old); rubescens, reddening, reddish (from rubescere, to grow red, from ruber, red)” (Stearn).

[> L. –escens,-escentis (part.B), “present active participle of inchoative verbs ending in –escere, > -sc-, element forming inchoative verbs + -ent, present participle suffix of conjugation 3.: beginning, beginning to be, becoming, slightly (WIII); cf. –ascens,-entis (part.B).

An ending generally derived from all verb conjugations but the first.

Inchoative (Eng. adj.): denoting an aspect of a verb expressing the beginning of an action or process.

Latin verb:

arboresco, -ere: to grow into a tree; nearly a tree > arborescens,-entis (part.B) > arbor,-oris (s.f.III), a tree; Abarema arborescens.

aresco, arui, inf. arescere: to become dry, to wither > areo, inf. arere: to be dry or parched, to be withered > arescens,-entis (part.B): arescent.

erubesco, ui; inf. erubescere: to turn red, blush, to become red > erubescens,-entis (part.B): erubescent.

lactesco, inf. lactescere to begin to produce milk; to become full of milky juice; exuding a milky fluid when damaged, milky; becoming like milk: > lacteo, to be full of milk or juice > lactescens,-entis (part.B): lactescent.

obsolesco,-evi,-etum, inf. obsolescere: falling into disuse, becoming obscure; to fade away > obsoletus,-a,-um (participle of obsolesco) > obsolescens,-entis (part.B), q.v.

pallesco,-ui, inf. pallescere: to grow pale, to lose color, fade > palleo, to be pale; to have a pale (yellowish or greenish) color; to have a pale discoloration; to be or become dim or faint” (Glare) > pallescens,-entis (part.B), q.v.

viresco; inf. virescere: starting to become green > vireo, to show green, to thrive > virescens,-entis (part.B): virescent.

NOTE: the present active participle of most Latin verbs ends in either –ens,-entis or -ans,-antis (this last only of verbs of the first conjugation).

There is a participial suffix, or a participial ending, that is not attached to a verb, but is declined like, or in the form of a present active participle, and that is:

–escens,-escentis or –ascens,-ascentis. The –escens and –ascens are suffixes and may be attached to either a noun or an adjective. When this happens they are no longer participles, but adjectives. Both forms, although they look like they represent verbs, do not. Nouns and adjectives may receive present active participle endings, or past passive participle endings, but they are adjectives, not participles.

For example: ‘caerulescens,-entis,’ becoming blue, is an adjective, not a participle, and is not connected to a verb but an adjective: > caeruleus,-a,-um (adj.A), ‘dark-colored, dark blue,’ etc.

caerulans,-antis, becoming blue, is also an adjective (Lewis & Short).

This is also true of the past passive participle –atus,-ata,-atum: caeruleatus,-eata,-eatum. This is an adjective (not a participle), e.g. calyculatus,-a,-um (adj.A), provided with a calyx (no verb involved).

Aalius pubescens [> pubesco,-bui 3. To become pubescent > pubes,-is (s.f.III), the hair which appears on the body at puberty (Lewis & Short); canescens (nearly grayish-white; from the Latin verb canesco, to whiten, to become gray or hoary; from the adj. canus, grayish-white.

Abacosa canescens (> canesco,-ere to grow white > caneo,-ui 2. To be gray, be white > canus,-a,-um (adj.A), white).

glaucescens (somewhat blueish-gray; from the Latin adj. glaucus, blueish-gray, grayish and the verbal suffix -escens, becoming.

flavescens; flavesco,-ere 3. To become golden yellow, yellowish > flaveo,-ere 2. To be golden yellow > flavus,-a,-um (adj.A): golden yellow).

glabrescens (nearly smooth; from the Latin adj. glabresco, to grow smooth, bare, bald, from the adj. glaber, without hair, smooth, bald.

nigrescens (nearly black; from Latin verb nigresco, to become or grow black, from the Latin adj. niger, dark, black.

rubescens,-entis (part.B) [> L. rubesco, gui, 3, from rubeo: to grow red, turn red, to redden (Lewis & Short) rubeo, ere (3.) to be red or ruddy; to be reddened (e.g. by blood); to grow red, to redden, clush; rubens,-entis (part.B): being red, red, reddish (Lewis & Short).

rufescens (reddish; from Latin verb rufesco, to become reddish from the adj. rufus, red, reddish.

virescens,-entis (part.B): from viresco, ere, 3: to grow or become green or verdant; to flourish, grow (Lewis & Short)

- albescens, whitish; brunnescens, brownish; caerulescens, bluish; fuscescens,-entis (adj.B) somewhat dark, from fuscus,-a,-um (adj.A), dark, swarthy, dusky + -escens. Dicranum fuscescens; spinescens, somewhat spiny or prickly; latescens, somewhat broad; pruinescens, somewhat frosted or pruinose; rigescens, slightly rigid.

- arborescens,-entis > arboresco,-ere 3. To become a tree, to grow to be a tree (Lewis & Short); frutescens,-entis (part.B), shrubby, somewhat or becoming shrubby or woody; suffrutescens, becoming rather shrubby.