A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

ather-: “in Greek compounds signifies an awn or stiff bristle, like the beard of barley” (Lindley)[> Gk. athEr,-eros (s.m.II), the beard or spike of an ear of corn, an ear of corn itself, = Lat. spica; the point or barb of a weapon (Liddell & Scott)]; see spica,-ae (s.f.I(.

NOTE: not to be confused with anthera,-ae (s.f.I), the ‘anther,’ the part of a stamen containing the pollen.

Anatherum,-i (s.n.II), Palisot de Beauvois. Named in allusion to the awnless valves of the calyx, from a, privative, and ather, awn. Linn. 23, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Graminacece (Paxton).

Arrhenatherum,-i (s.n.II), Palisot de Beauvois. Derived from arrhen, male, ather, a point; the male spikes being furnished with awns. Graminaceae (Paxton).

Atheropogon,-onis (s.m.III) Willdenow. From ather, awn, and pogon, a beard; on account of the awns being bearded (Paxton).

Atherosperma,-atis (s.n.III) From other, awn, sperma, seed; the seeds being furnished with awns. Atherospermaceae(Paxton).