A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Anther (Eng.noun), “the case which contains the pollen of a plant” (Lindley); the part of a stamen containing the pollen, usually 2-chambered; “the polliniferous part of a stamen” (Fernald 1950); “1. that portion of a stamen which contains the pollen, usually bilocular, and sessile, or attached to a filament; 2. an old term in Fungi, for the Antheridium; 3. also used by Linnaeus for the seta and capsule of Mosses, as in Bryum” (Jackson); “the part of the stamen in seed plants that consists of microsporangia, develops and contains pollen, and though sometimes sessile is usually borne on a stalk” (WIII):

anthera,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. anthera, nom. pl. antherae, gen. pl. antherarum, acc. pl. antheras, dat. & abl. pl. antheris [> L. anthera,-ae (s.f.I) = Gk. anthEra (blooming): “a medicine composed of flowers” (Lewis & Short) > Gk. anthEra, fem. of anthEros,-a,-on (Gk. adj.) “flowery, flowering, blooming; fresh young, new; bright-colored, brilliant; splendid”(after Liddell & Scott) > Gk. anthos,-ous (s.n.III), blossom, flower, bloom]; see connective; see filament; valve; see dehiscence.

without anthers: anantherus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v.

NOTE: not to be confused with Gk. compounds in ather-: which “signifies an awn or stiff bristle, like the beard of barley” (Lindley).

- antherae biloculares ovatae basifixae sacculis usque ad apicem connectivo conjunctis utrinque longirorsum dehiscentes, anthers two-locular ovate basifixed with sacs (thecae) up to the tip to the connective joined on each side longitudinally dehiscent (Stearn).

- antherarum thecae glabrae divaricatae, of the anthers the thecae glabrous spreading abruptly at an abtuse angle (Stearn).

- antherarum loculi per anthesin paralleli seu divergentes usque ad basin dehiscentes, apice plus minus coadunati, of the anthers the loculi (thecae) through anthesis parallel or divergent down to the base dehiscent at the tip more or less united (Stearn).

- antherae glabrae vel lanatae sagittatae vel hippocrepiformes loculis distinctis vel apice confluentibus, denique rima unica deorsum usque ad medium dehiscentes, basibus saccatis, anthers glabrous or woolly, sagittate or horseshoe-shaped with the loculi (thecae) distinct or at the tip merged together, and then by a single slit downwards to the middle dehiscent, with the bases saccate (Stearn).

- stamina didynama, antheris apiculatis, thecis basi in calcar longum curvatum productis, ad fissuram ciliatis, stamens didnamous, with anthers apiculate with thecae at base drawn out into a spur long curved, at the fissure ciliate (Stearn).

- antherae 2-loculares, loculis connectivo lato oblongo apice cornuto disjunctis aequalibus parallelis, anthers 2-locular, with the loculi (thecae) by a broad oblong connective separated equal parallel (Stearn).

- antherae apicibus in orbem cohaerentes loculis subparallelis distinctis contiguis a basi ad apicem late apertis, anthers by the tips into an orb cohering with the loculi (thecae) almost parallel distinct close together from base to tip wide open (Stearn).

- tubus stamineus cylindratus apice antheras permultas monothecas globum formantes gerens, staminal tube cylindric, bearing at the tip anthers many one-celled forming a globe (Stearn).

- antherae lineares connectivo in laminam triangularem obtusam supra loculos producto, anthers linear with the connective prolonged into a blade triangular blunt above the loculi (thecae) (Stearn).

- canalibus antherarum brevioribus, with the canals of the anthers shorter.

- (algae) Cornu antheram credit Vaucherius & foecundationem in Vaucheriis ut in plantis phaenogamis fieri. Vix bene. Cornua pedicellos esse abortivos vel steriles judico (Agardh), Vaucherius supposes the horn [i.e. horn-like process] to be an anther and the fertilization in the Vaucheriae as it might be in phaenogamous plants. Hardly well [i.e. not convincing]. I judge the horns to be abortive or sterile pedicels.

Compositae (B&H):

- Antherae lineares v. oblongae, in tubum stylum cingentem connatae v. rarius arcte conniventes, singulae apice truncatae v. saepissime connectivo producto membranaceo v. mucroniformi appendiculatae, basi integrae 2-lobae v. sagittatae, lobis auriculisve antherarum contiguarum ad apicem connatis v. liberis, obtusis acutis v. in mucronem v. appendicem (caudam) ultra lóculos productis; introrsum 2-loculares, loculis parallelis linearibus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus; anthers linear or oblong, connate [i.e. united] into a tube surrounding the style or more rarely tightly connivent [i.e. contiguous at the tips], each one truncate at the apex, or most often appendiculate with an elongated membranaceous or mucroniform connective, at the base, entire, 2-lobed or sagittate [i.e. arrow-shaped], with the lobes or auricles of the contiguous anthers at the apex connate or free, obtuse, acute or extended beyond the locules into a mucro or appendix (cauda [i.e. ‘tail’]); internally 2-locular, with the locules parallel, linear, longitudinally dehiscent.

- antherae apice appendiculatae, basi sagittatae, auriculis obtusis acutis v. rarius breviter subcaudato-acuminatis antherarum contiguarum connatis v. rarius liberis (B&H), the anthers at the apex with appendages, sagittate at the base, with the auricles of the contiguous anthers obtuse, acute or more rarely shortly subcaudate-acuminate, connate or more rarely free.

Anthera,-ae (s.f.I) = Gk. anthEra (blooming), “a medicine composed of flowers” (Lewis & Short)].

Anthera,-ae (s.f.I): erroneously used by Linnaeus for the capsule of a moss (Bryum murale), also called the pyxidule or pyxidula,-ae (s.f.I) (Barton).

Anthera,-ae (s.f.I) deflorata (adj.B): having ejected, or excluded the pollen (Barton).

Antheridium, “the so-called male organs of Urn-mosses and similar plants” (Lindley); “in Cryptogams the organ corresponding to an anther (Fernald 1950).

Auricle, q.v.: a small lateral outgrowth on an anther: auricula,-ae (s.f.I).

Connectivum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. connectivo: the connective, the part of the stamen connecting the two pollen sacs of an anther and which is usually distinct from the filament.

didymus,-a,-um (adj.): didymous, in pairs, divided into two lobes; in Palms, of anthers where the connective is almost absent.

Endothecium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. endothecio: “the lining of an anther” (Lindley).

Exothecium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. exothecio: “the outer coat of an anther” (Lindley).

Staminidium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. staminidio, nom. & acc. pl. staminidia: “the so-called anthers of Cryptogamic plants” (Lindley) [> Gk. stamen + (dim.) -idion].

Testiculus,-i (s.m.II), abl. sg. testiculo, ‘a testicle;’ testis,-is (s.m.III), abl. sg. teste: “(obsol.) the anther” (Lindley).

Thrum, q.v., also Thrumb, the thrum-flower: once called the anthers in the florets of Composites.

NOTE: see the suffix -centron,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. -centro, 'spur' used in generic names to refer to anther appendages or anther condition.

NOTE: gyngenesicus,-a,-um (adj.A), syngenesus,-a,-um (adj.A): syngenesious or syngenesicus: with anthers cohering in a ring; belonging to the order Compositae (Jackson); also synantherus,-a,-um (adj.A), synanthericus,-a,-um (adj.A): with anthers cohering together into a tube or ring.

NOTE: didymus,-a,-um (adj.): didymous, in pairs, divided into two lobes; in Palms, of anthers where the connective is almost absent; Synandrium, q.v., “the cohesion of the anthers of each male flower in certain Aroideae” (Jackson): synandrium,-ii (s.n.II), abl.sg. synandrio; NOTE: see extroversus and introversus for the situation of the anther on the outer or inner side of a filament respectively.

NOTE: Alternanthera,-ae (s.f.I): “the name refers to the stamens being alternately fertile and barren” (Amaranthaceae) (Paxton).

Heterocentron,-i (s.n.II) Hook. & Arn. > Gk. heteros, unlike, + centron, spur, in reference to the 8 very unequal anthers.

Schizocentron,-ii (s.n.II) Meissn. > Gk. schizos, split + centron, spur, in reference to the anthers.

Stomium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. stomio: the stomium, “the opening in an anther usually between lip cells, through which dehiscence occurs” (WIII).

Anther Types (based on dehiscence):

Dehiscentia longitudinalis: “dehiscing along long axis of theca.

D. Extrorse (adv.): dehiscing longitudinally outward.

Introrse: dehiscing longitudinally inward.

Latrorse: dehiscing longitudinally and laterally.

Poricidal: dehiscing through a pore at apex of theca.

Transverse: dehiscing at right angles to long axis of theca.

Valvular: dehiscing through a pore covered by a flap of tissue (Radford et al.)

Anther attachment:

Basifixed: anther attached at its base to apex of filament.

Dorsifixed: anther attached dorsally and medially to apex of filament.

Subhbasifixed: anther attached near its base to apex of filament.

Versatile: dorsifixed but anther seemingly swinging free on the filament (Radford et al.).