A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Calyx: calyx, gen. sg. calycis (s.m.III), acc. sg. calycem, dat. sg. calyci, abl. sg. calyce, nom. & acc. pl. calyces, gen. pl. calycum, dat. & abl. pl. calycibus; the outer perianth whorl; “the outer perianth of the flower” (Fernald 1950); collective term for all of the sepals of a flower; in Palms, the outermost or lowermost whorl of floral organs, the sepals; [> Gk. kalux, kalukos (s.f. III), the calyx of a flower; “a covering, used only of flowers and fruit; the shell or pod of plants; the calyx of a flower, a bud, a rose-bud; in the Illiad, kalukes seem to be earrings like flower-cups” (Liddell & Scott); see calyculus,-i (s.m.II), epicalyx;

NOTE: not to be confused with calix,-icis (s.m.III), q.v., abl. sg. calice: a cup, goblet from Gk. kylix,-ikos (s.f.II), a cup, drinking-cup, wine-cup.

- calyce subintegro, with the calyx subentire.

- fructus intra calycem accrescens, fruit enlarging within the calyx.

- petala intra calycem in corollam genitalia cingentem coalita (B&H), petals fused within the calyx into a corolla enclosing the sexual organs.

- calyx cupuliformis truncatus irregulariter fissus c. 20 mm. longus intus glaber extus parce pilosus ruber vel viridis vel flavus, venulis multis percursus, costis haud prominentibus, calyx cupola-shaped truncate irregularly cleft about 20 mm. long inside glabrous outside sparingly pilose red or green or yellow, traversed by many veinlets, with ribs not prominent (Stearn).

- calyx cylindraceus 5-nervis, ore obliquo bilabiato, labio postico integro, labio antico 4-dentato dentibus aequalibus acutis, calyx cylindric 5-nerved, with the mouth oblique two-lipped, with the posticous lip entire, with the anticous lip 4-toothed with equal acute teeth (Stearn).

- calyx deciduus campanulatus, vertice truncato, sed in lobos quinque breves imbricatos semicirculares rotundatos ciliatos ad 2 mm. longos ad 3 mm. latos divisus, calyx deciduous campanulate, with the top truncate, but divided into five short imbricate semicircular rounded ciliate lobes to 2 mm. long 3 mm. broad (Stearn).

- calyx brevis inaequaliter et obtuse 5-fidus, laciniis in aestivatione valvatis sub bacca patens, calyx short unequally and bluntly 5-cleft, with the segments valvate in aestivation, outspread beneath the berry (Stearn).

- bracteae amplae calycem includentes, bracts large enclosing the calyx (Stearn).

- calycis segmenta rotundata, segments of the calyx rounded (Stearn).

- calyce colorato vel viridi hirsuto vel glabro 2 cm. longo, basi attenuato, tubo corollae multo breviore, fructifero clavato, dentibus omnibus acutis, with the calyx colored or green hairy or glabrous 2 cm. long, with the base attenuate, much shorter than the tube of the corolla, in a fruiting state club-shaped, with the teeth all enlarged (Stearn).

- calyx in sépala 2-3 irregulariter valvata fissus (B&H), calyx split into sepals 2-3 irregularly valvate.

acalicalis,-e (adj.B): “(obsol.) having no calyx; also having no adhesion to the calyx, in which case it is the same as hypogynous” (Lindley).

asepalus,-a,-um (adj.A): “with no sepals or calyx” (Radford et al.).

Calyx communis (adj.B), abl. sg. calyce communi, “(obsol.) the old name of the involucre of Composites, etc.” (Lindley).

Corolla, the second whorl of flower organs, the petals, inside or above the calyx; “that part of a flower which intervenes between the calyx and stamens; its parts are called petals” (Lindley).

Inferior ovary: “one that is adnate to the calyx” (Fernald 1950); “an inferior calyx grows below the ovary; an inferior ovary grows, or seems to grow, below a calyx” (Lindley); inferior (adj.): “below some other organ, as an Inferior calyx is below the ovary, or an Inferior Ovary seems to grow below the adnate calyx” (Jackson).

Dolium,-ii (s.n.II), q.v., (classically) “the calyx of a flower” (Glare).

NOTE: the perigonium was also a synonym for the calyx, i.e. the outer perianth of the flower, the outer perianth whorl:

- Calyx (aut Perigonium ) 1-sepalus campanulatus 10-fidus, lobis 5 exterioribus majoribus ovatis, interioribus 5 alternis minoribus callosis (DeCandolle), the calyx (or perigonium) 1-sepaled, campanulate, 10-divided, with lobes 5, the exterior larger, ovate, the interior 5, alternate, smaller, callose [i.e. hard and thick].

NOTE: “the most external of the floral envelopes; it is called ‘adhaerens,’ or ‘superior,’ when it is not separable from the ovary; ‘liberus,’ or ‘inferior,’ when it is separate from that part; ‘calyculate,’ when it is surrounded at the base by brancts in a ring. (obsol.) Also the receptable of certain Fungals” (Lindley).

NOTE: once used in mosses and liverworts for the perianth, q.v.

NOTE: abbr. cal.;

- cal. inferus, tubulosus, medio & versus basin ventricosus (Swartz), the calyx inferior, tubulose, in the middle and toward the base ventricose.