A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

anceps, gen. sg. ancipitis (adj.B), abl. sg. ancipiti; ancipitus,-a,-um (adj.A): ancipital, ancipitous, “two-edged, as the stem of an Iris” (Lindley); “two-edged, flattened or compressed, as the stem of Sisymbrium anceps Cav.” (Jackson); “two-sided, hence applied to flattened two-edged stems; in classical L. anceps sometimes meant wavering, doubtful, uncertain, and Arundinaria anceps, with round stems, was so named because of doubts as to its country of origin” (Stearn 1996); frequently used in the description of the silique, q.v. [> L. an + caput,-itis, ‘that has two heads, two-headed,’ twofold; wavering, doubtful, uncertain, unfixed, undecided; ” Janus anceps, Janus bifrons; "of an object whose qualities have significance in two respects, double, that extends on two opposite sides (while duplex is an object that exists in separate forms, twice" (Lewis & Short)];

Anceps, gen.sg. ancipitis: a two-edged axe, “borne by the lictors in the fasces” (Lewis & Short); see securis,-is (s.f.III).

In botany mostly having two (opposite) sides or edges, as of a stem, of the flat pod of the Brassicaceae, the silique, q.v., frequently described as ‘ancipital;’ also two-winged, i.e. stems flattened or compressed to form two edges or opposite acute angles.

- genus in sectiones 2 dividitur, nempe Cheiri, DC., siliqua ancipiti, stylo 0 et Cheiroides, DC, siliqua tetragona, stylo filiformi, seminibus marginatis (B&H), the genus is divided into two sections, namely [Cheiri] with a two-edged [i.e. 2-sided] silique, with no style; and Cheiroides, DC., with a tetragonal [i.e. 4-sided] silique.

- articulo inferiore compresso, ancipiti, apice truncato (B&H), with the joint [i.e. articulation] inferior, compressed, two-edged, truncate at the apex.

- apice subulato ancipiti (B&H), with the apex subulate, two-edged.

- scapi ancipites, floribus majusculis longe pedicellatis (B&H), scapes two-edged, with the flowers somewhat larger, long-pedicellate.

- stylus valde elongatus, post anthesin dilatatus et anceps, the style strongly elongate, after anthesis [i.e. the period of flowering] dilated and two-sided [i.e. compressed with two sides].

- siliquis glabris multangulis torulosis rostro tenui subancipiti triplo longioribus, with the siliques glabrous, with many angles, torulose with a thin beak, slightly two-edged, [the siliques] three times longer.

- frondibus junioribus ancipitibus subcostatis pinnatifìdis, with the younger fronds two-edged, somewhat ribbed, pinnately divided.

- [algae] Caulis ima basi teres, dein anceps, lateribus convexis 1-2 lineas latus (Agardh), stem at the lowermost base rounded-cylindric, ultimately two-edged [i.e. flattened], with the sides convex, 1-2 lines [2.1-4.2 mm] wide.

- [Corallina; algae] articulis oblongo-cuneatis, pinnularum sterilium ancipitis cystocarpiis acuminatis (Kutz.), with the articuli [i.e. articulations] oblong-wedge-shaped, with the cystocarps of the sterile pinnules two-edged, acuminate.

- [algae] [Cystoseira abrotanifolia] caule subnullo; frondibus junioribus ancipitibus subcostatis pinnatifìdis, laciniis anguste lanceolatis obtusis integris distichis (Agardh), with almost no stem; with the younger fronds two-sided (i.e. compressed, flat], somewhat ribbed, pinnatifid, with the lacinia narrowly lanceolate, obtuse, entire, distichous.

- [Erysimum] E. cuspidatum siliquis stylo triplo longioribus aucipitibus nudis (DeCandolle), with the siliques three times longer than the style, two-sided naked.

- [Barbarea praecox] siliqua lineari-elongata, compressa ancipiti (Hooker), with the silique linear-elongate, compressed, ancipitous [two-sided, i.e. flat].

Callitriche anceps Fern. ‘two-edged;’ a plant with “the stems flat and broadly winged” (Fernald 1950).

Sisyrinchium anceps, a plant with a simple (undivided) scape that is 2-edged or –winged.

“Linnaeus enumerates the following species or varieties of the caulis simplex, or simple stem : viz. ... 11, caulis anceps, or ancipital stem ; a two-edged stem, compressed and forming two opposite angles : 12. caulis' triqueter, or three-sided stem, having three plane or flat sides : 13. caulis triangularis, or triangular stem, with three angles : 14. caulis trigonus, or three-cornered stem, having also three angles, with the sides concave or convex” (Barton); see caulis,-is (s.m.III).