A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Apophysis,-is (s.f.III), abl. sg. apophyse, nom. & acc. pl. apophyses, dat. & abl. pl. apophysibus: the apophysis: “a thickened elongation, or enlargement of the base of the spore-case [i.e. capsule] of an Urn-moss” (Lindley); in botany, generally referring to a swollen or expanded character; “an enlargement or swelling of the surface of an organ” (Fernald 1950); in mosses, the hypophysis, the sterile (as opp. to the upper spore-bearing urn or theca) basal portion of a capsule, sometimes differentiated as a swelling or expansion at the capsule base of a moss; = hypophysis,-is (s.f.III), q.v., = neck, q.v.; the swelling on the cone scale of some conifers; in mycology, “a swelling or a swollen filament, e.g. at the end of a sporangiophore below the sporangium in Mucorales (cf. columella), or on the stem of some species of Geastrum” (Ainsworth & Bisby); “a swollen part of the filament or a swelling of the stalk (as in certain members of the genus Geaster)” (WIII); “an expansion or swelling of the hypha (as that below the sporangium in Mucor)” (WIII) [> Gk. an offshoot or process of a bone]; see paraphysis, theca, urn; see swelling (noun);

NOTE: Hedwig referred to the apophysis of thecae of the genus Splachnum umbraculiform (umbrella-shaped). In Sphagnum ampullaceum: “apophysi inverse ampullaeformi, colloque longo virente (Hedw.), with the apophysis inversely ampulliform [i.e. obampulliform], and with a long, green neck.

NOTE: In S. luteum “the bright-yellow apophysis is about the size of a dime..., hence more like an umbrella than the skirt of S. rubrum” (C&S).

- [Splachnum; moss] thecae apophysis obconica umbraculiformisque (Hedw.), the apophysis of the thecae obconic and umbraculiform [i.e. umbrellalike].

- [Splachnum ampullaceum; moss] Tabula XIV: umbraculo ampullaceo obconico; umbraculo clauso obverse ovato (Hedw.), with the umbraculum [i.e. apophysis] flask-shaped [i.e. broadest at the base] obconic; the umbraculum closed, obversely ovate.

- [Splachum luteum; moss] apophysis ante plenariam expansionem contracta rugosa, viridis expansa subinde in umbraculi formam, lutea (Hedw.), the apophysis before complete expansion contracted, rugose, when expanded green, shortly afterwards in the shape of an umbrella, yellow.

- [Splachnum vasculosum; moss] Splachnum vasculosum umbraculo ampullaceo subgloboso Linn., with the umbraculum [i.e. apophysis] flask-shaped, somewhat globose. NOTE: Splachnum sphaericum Hedw. “the specific epithet refers to the more or less globose apophysis” (C&A).

Willdenow:

(p. 135) “The case, (theca), is the fruit of the frondose Musci. It is a dry fruit that opens in the middle with a lid, and is furnished with particular parts. (p. 137:) The Apophysis is a fleshy, round, or oblong body, that appears at the base of the theca. Sometimes it is very small, and almost imperceptible; sometimes, however, larger than the theca itself.”

- apophyse plano-umbraculiformi vel convexo-umbraculiformi, with an apophysis flattened-umbrella-like or convex-umbrellalike.

- apophyses disco-umbraculiformes, apophyses disc-umbrella shaped.

- [HIPPOMANE Mancinilla] nux lignosa, excavata sulcis & apophysibus; 3-5-locularis (Swartz), the nut woody, hollowed out, with [pronounced furrows] and enlargements [perhaps ridges between the sulci], 3-5-locular.

- (moss) theca subcylindrica apophysi rutilante nitida globoso-obovali (Mueller), theca almost cylindric, with a reddish-orange apophysis, shining, globose-oboval.

- [Splachnum; moss] habitus pedunculis longissimis, apophysi magna saepe pulcherrime umbraculiformi et theca parva cylindracea proprius speciosus (C. Muell.), the appearance characteristically striking with a very long peduncle [i.e. seta], with a great apophysis often most beautifully umbrella-shaped and a small, cylindric theca.