A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Limax, gen. sg. limacis [s.f.III), abl. sg. limace = Gk.leimax,-akos (s.f.III; “not s.m.III”; = leimOn, meadow, any moist, grassy place, meadow; a garden; = Lat. limax, ‘snail’” (Liddell & Scott)].

Limax “is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk family Limacidae. The generic name Limax literally means ‘slug.’” (Wikipedia “Limax” July 2019).

NOTE: although classically, ‘limax’ may refer to either a slug or a snail, presently ‘limax’ refers only to slugs. Snails have a shell, slugs do not = limax testaceus = snail; limax nudus = slug.

Slug (Eng.noun): “”any of numerous chiefly terrestrial pulmonate gastropods ... usu. placed in the family Limacidae... probably including descendants of shelled snails of several families ... the shell rudimentary or absent...” (WIII).

Snail (Eng.noun): “a freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk esp. when having an external enclosing spiral shell” (WIII).

Cornu aspersum, the Garden Snail, a species of land (terrestrial) snail; the ‘horns’ are called ‘tentacles,’ and there are two (retractable) sets on their heads, the upper is light sensitive with terminal eyespots, the lower provide a sense of smell.

- [algae; Diatoms, part 1] ut Limaces testacei a Limacibus nudis, ut Zoophyta ab Hydris diversa sunt, ita Schizonema a Cymbella.- Cymbella enim, ut illud genus in anteriori paragrapho definivimus, corpuscula continet in muco difformi et absque ordine sparsa (Agardh; Diatoms), just as the testaceous slugs [i.e. snails] are different from the naked [i.e. lacking shells] slugs, as the Zoophytes from the Hydras, so Schizonema is distinct] from Cymbella - for Cymbella, as we [i.e. I] have defined that genus in the anterior [i.e. previous] paragraph, contains bodies in an irregular mucus and is spread out [i.e. scattered] without order.

NOTE: Hydra,-ae: primitive freshwater animals of the phylum Cnidaria.

- [Lichen vulgaris major, pileatus & verrucosus.. The commom [larger, verrucose] Mushroom-headed Liverwort.] Describente Columna, “‘saxosis aquosis oritur umbrosis, Septentrionem maxime respicientibus: radicibus hæret sericeis, similibus pilis, tenuibus, admodum copiosis, sub foliis, quæ digiti sunt latitudine, & dupla longitudine, vel majore, superne virentia, vel parum flavicantia, squamosa, veluti serpentium cutis, aut limacis, singulisque squamis punctum in medio inscriptum elevatur’” (Dill.),

Columna writes: “it originates in stony, shady [sc. places] full of water, particularly facing the North: it clings by silken roots resembling hairs, thin, very abundant, under leaves, which are a digit [i.e. 3/4 inch] in width, and double [that] in length, or larger, on the upper side green, or somewhat yellowish, scaley like the skin of serpents or of a slug [or snail], and for each scale a dot inscribed in the middle is raised up.”

- folia a semunciali ad uncialem plerumque longitudinem extensa, læte viridia, modice crassa, non pellucida, nec venosa, obliquis veluti squamulis, cutis limacis instar, dense obsita, sapore mucido, in recessu acri (Dill.), leaves usually extended a length from a half-inch to an inch, bright green, moderately thick, not pellucid nor conspicuously veined, densely covered with oblique [i.e. slanted] squamules as if resembling the skin of a slug, with a musty odor, in a pointed recess.

- [Agaricus; fungus] totius fungi caro alba firma esculenta videtur, sapore praedita miti grato Boleti fere edulis: quamobrem ab insectis limacibusque cupide conquisita, perforata ac semivorata haud raro offenditur (S&A), the firm white flesh of the entire fungus seems fit for eating, since, provided with the pleasing [i.e. succulent], attractive taste of a Bolete, it is almost edible: wherefore being sought out eagerly by insects and slugs, it is not uncommonly found perforated [i.e. pierced with holes] and half eaten.

- [Gymnopodes limacinus; fungus] avide a limacibus insectisque propter saporem mitem dulcem appetita, saepissime semidevorata offenditur (S&A), sought greedily after by slugs and insects because the taste is succulent, sweet [i.e. not bitter], most often found half devoured.

The mushroom genus Limacella,-ae (s.f.I) (Amanitaceae), the Slimecaps due to the generally slimy elements in their morphology: e.g. their caps (pilei), stalks, gelatinized hyphae and glutinous volva, probably from limac- (limax,-acis) snail or slug + dim. -ella.