A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

-quetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), also –queter,-quetra,-quetrum (adj.A), ‘-quetrous;’ a an adj. suffix patterned after Latin adj. ‘triquetrus,-a,-um (adj.A)’ with no stated etymology.

in L. comp. -cornered, -angled, -pointed, “the angles usually sharp” (Stearn 1983), often nearly winged; three-angled” (Jackson); triquetrus, “having three corners or salient angles or edges; having three acute angles” as in the stems of many sedges (WIII); also triangular; see -angled; see prismaticus,-a,-um (adj.A); see triquetrus,-a,-um (adj.A); see triqueter,-a,-um (adj.A); see prismaticus,-a,-um (adj.A).

NOTE: -queter is singular masculine, not used in classical Latin, otherwise as in –quetrus.

NOTE: although only ‘triquetrus’ is used in classical Latin, in botanical Latin ‘quadriquetrus,-a,-um (adj.A)’ and ‘quadriqueter,-tra,-trum (adj.A), ‘four-angled,’ are also used in epithets.

Masculine: Acorus triqueter; Astragalus triqueter; cactus triqueter; Calamus triqueter; Cyperus triqueter; Helianthus triqueter; Zygodon triqueter; often in graminoid, esp. Carex species.

Feminine: Acacia triquetra; Achyronia triquetra; Alsine tetraquetra; Anchusa tetraquetra; Anila triquetra.

Neuter: Abutilon triquetrum, Acaulon triquetrum, Allium triquetrum, Desmodium triquetrum, Hymenostylium triquetrum, Hypnum triquetrum.

Interpretation in mosses:

Acaulon triquetrum (moss) “the keeled leaves contribute to a 3-cornered appearance [i.e. to the stem] that is the most recognizable feature of the plants” (C&A).

Meesia triquera (moss) “the keeled leaves spread widely in three rowes, as indicated by the name (meaning three-angled)” (C&A).

NOTE: the extraordinary number of epithets in “pseudotriqueter” under the genus name ‘Bryum’ perhaps all refer in some way to a false Bryum triquetrum Turn, a synonym of Meesia triquetra. “the name, meaning falsely triangular, 3-sided, or possibly 3-ranked, can be traced to a pre-Hedwigian association with the name Mnium triquetrum (which would ordinarily be referred to the synonymy of Meesia triquetra)” (C.&A.) Rhytidiadelphgus triquetrus (moss) “the name refers to triangular leaves. Dillenius called this moss the great triangular pale-green Hypnm and specifically described the leaves as triangular” (C&A).

- [folia] ‘lanceolata’ nempe oblonga a basi in apicem acutum sensim attenuata, quae forma folii apud muscos vulgatissima est; si autem e basi paulo latiore latera ad angulum acutum linea rectä concurrant, tunc forma triquetra evadit ut in Hypno triquetro (Bridel),[leaves] are ‘lanceolate,’ in other words, oblong gradually attenuated [i.e. narrowed] from the base into an acute apex, which form of the leaf is most common among mosses; if, however, the sides from a somewhat wider base were to occur at an acute angle, then it becomes the form triquetrous as in Hypnum triquetrum.

tetraquetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), also tetraqueter,-ra,-rum (adj.A): tetraquetrous; four-angled; tetraqueter, “having four very sharp and almost winged corners” (Lindley).

Alsinanthus tetraqueter

NOTE: botanists have added numerals to the suffix to express various numbers of angles: 3-quetrus,-a,-um (adj.A); 4-quetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), 5-quetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), etc.;

- fructus tri-queter, angulis alatis, substipitatus (DeCandolle), fruit (sharply) three-angled, with the angles winged, nearly stipitate.

- petiolis triquetris acutangulis (DeCandolle), with the petioles triquetrous [i.e. 3-angled], the angles acute.

- capsula ovalo-triquetra obtusa (Boissier), the capsule oval-three angled, obtuse.

- ovarium 5-quetrum, ovary 5-angled.

- nux 3-quetra interdum 3-alata, nut 3-angled sometimes 3-winged.

- fronde prismatica 3-4-quetra, with the frond prismatic 3-4-angled.

- legumen 2-pedale, 3-quetrum, 3-valve, striatum, 1-loculare (Swartz), the legume 2 feet long, 3-angled, 3-valved, striate, 1-locular [i.e. with one cavity].

- petioli longissimi, pedales, 3-quetri (Swartz), the petioles very long, a foot long, 3-angled.

- glabra, foliis petiolatis exstipulatis carinato-triquetris (F. Mueller), glabrous, with the leaves petiolate, lacking stipules, keeled-three-cornered [i.e. with three keels].

- foliis imbricatis canaliculato-triquetris (F. Mueller), with the leaves imbricate canaliculate [i.e. channelled]-three-cornered [i.e. with three ridges and three longitudinal depressions].

- glaberrima, foliis confertis parum patentibus lineari-triquetris obtusis subsessilibus (F. Mueller), completely hairless, with the leaves close-packed, somewhat spreading, linear-triquetrous [i.e. with three linear or narrow ridges or keels].

- carpella globosa subtriquetra (DeCandolle), the carpels globose, somewhat three-cornered.

- columella persistente late triquetra v. 3-alata (B&H), with the columella persisting, broadly 3-angled or 3-winged.

- capsula magna, 3-gona, l. 3-quetra, 3-locularis, 3-valvis (Swartz), the capsule large, trigonous or [l.(‘el’] = ‘vel’] triquetrous, 3-locular, 3-valved.

- semina triquetro-pyriformia (B&H), seeds triquetrous-pyriform [i.e. pear-shaped with three angles].

- folia alterna v. opposita, linearia, dorso obtusa v. carinata, interdum triquetra (B&H), leaves alternate or opposite, linear, on the back obtuse or keeled, sometimes three-cornered.

- rami 4-quetri, stricti, subdivisi, longi, ramulis 4-gonis (Swartz), the branches quadriquetrous, straight, somewhat divided [i.e. branched], long, with the branchlets tetragonous [i.e. with four angles].

- [fungi] lamellae triquetrae , versus stipitem latissimae (S&A), lamellae triquetrous [i.e. three angled”, most wide toward the stipe.

- ramuli copiosíssimi, 4-quetri (Swartz), the branchlets most abundant, 4-angled [quadriquetrous].

- rami longi, tetraquetri, geniculati (Swartz), branches long, four-angled, geniculate.

- ramis tri-tetraquetris (DeCandolle), with branched three to four-angled.

- capsulae obovatae triquetro-alatae (DeCandole), capsules obovate, triquetrously winged.