A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Papyrus,-i (m. and f.III), also papyrum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. papyro: paper; paper made from the stalk of the papyrus, or paper-reed, Cyperus papyrus L.; “Greek name of the paper made in rolls from the pith of Cyperus papyrus in Ancient Egypt. Cyperaceae” (Stearn 1996); cf. Gk. chartEs,-ou (s.m.III), “papyrus, a roll of papyrus; any leaf or thin plate” as of metal(Liddell & Scott)]; see paper;

Papyrus, Willd. “from the Syrian, babeer; whence the Egyptian word ‘papyrus,’ paper (Cyperaceae). The famed Papyrus of the Egyptians was obtained from our Papyrus antiquorum” (Paxton).

Biblus,-i (s.f.II), abl.sg. biblo = Gk. biblos (bublos), “the papyrus, a sort of rush that grew largely in Egypt, from the inner bark of wich paper was made (poetic for the more usual papyrus); ‘paper.’ (Lewis & Short). NOTE: feminine gender.

- [Byssus] SPECIES I. Byssus latissima, papyri instar super aquam expansa. The green Paper Byssus (Dill. Hist. Musc.) ... Nam & nostra species ab initio e pulverulenta & farinosa materia constare videtur, quae dein in membranaceam substantiam coit & aqua exsiccata albescit, tumque est Byssus membranacea aquatica (Dill. Hist. Musc.), Species I. expanded above [i.e. upon] the water like papyrus [i.e. paper]. ... For our species, in the beginning seems to consist of a powdery and mealy material, which ultimately curdles [i.e. masses together, coagulates] into a membranaceous [i.e. skin-like] substance and [after] the water has dried up, grows whitish, and then it is a membranaceous aquatic Byssus.

- [Byssus] Nam & nostra species ab initio e pulverulenta & farinosa materia constare videtur, quae dein in membranaceam substantiam coit & aqua exsiccata albescit, tumque est Byssus membranacea aquatica (Dill. Hist. Musc.), for our species, in the beginning seems to consist of a powdery and mealy material, which ultimately curdles [i.e. masses together, coagulates] into a membranaceous [i.e. skin-like] substance and [after] the water has dried up, grows whitish, and then it is a membranaceous aquatic Byssus.

- "caule Triquetro, floribus speciosis in summo caule, denso & aequabili comarum stipatu luculentam in ambitu caesariem effigiantibus [sic], ut eleganter J. Bauhinus, è cujus medulla tomentacea chartae olìm fiebant; PAPYRUS Nilotica [= Papyrus, the Paper Reed or Flag] (Ray), with a three-angled stem, with the handsome flowers at the stem tip producing in outline a splendid luxuriant head [i.e. of hair-like organs], with a dense and uniform compression of comas [i.e. tufts], as J. Bauhin elegantly [sc. wrote], from the tomentaceous medulla [i.e. pith] of which papers once were made: Papyrus nilotica.