A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

aucuparius,-a,-um (adj.A): “having a tendency to attract birds” (Paxton); “specific epithet for the rowan tree, Sorbus aucuparia. From L. aucupor, to go bird-catching, from auceps or aviceps, a bird-catcher, > avis, bird + capere, to catch” (Stearn 1996) [cf. L. aucupalis,-e (adj.B): pertaining to bird-catching or fowling; Aucupatio,-onis (s.f.III), abl.sg. aucupatione: bird-catching, fowling; aucupatorius,-a,-um (adj.A): belonging to, or useful in bird-catching; Aucupium,-ii (s.n.II), abl.sg. aucupio: bird-catching, fowling; aucupor,-atus 1. to go bird-catching or fowling; to chase, lie in wait for, also aucupo,-are 1. to watch for; auceps,-cupis (s.c.III), abl.sg. aucupe, (contraction for aviceps: a bird-catcher, fowler) (Lewis & Short) > avis, bird + capio, to capture]).

To fowl (Engl. Verb) “to seek, catch, or kill wild fowl for sport or food” (WIII). Fowler: one that hunts wild fowl for sport or food” (WIII); see bird.

Aucuparia Medik. Philos. Bot. 1:138. 1789 (Rosaceae).

Sorbus aucuparia L., Fowler's service.

NOTE: Aucuparia is the old generic name: aucuparia is a feminine noun in apposition to Sorbus, a masculine noun.

Pyrus Aucuparia (L.) Gaertn. “old generic name, meaning attractive to birds” (Fernald 1950); Sorbus aucuparia.

It is called the "fowler's service," {Aucuparia,) from the use that is made of its berries as a bait for birds (Burnettt).

Fungi growing on Sorbus aucuparia: Cenangium Aucupária, Pers. (Mountain-ash Cenangium); Sphaeria Aucupariae, Peziza Aucupariae (Hooker).

- (fungi) in ramis mortuis semiputribus Aucupariae, nec rara (S&A), on the dead, half-rotted branches of Aucuparia, not rare.

- (fungi) species in Aucupariae foliis vulgaris (S&A), species common on the leaves of Aucuparia.

- in truncis lignisque betulinis; semel in ramis Sorbi Aucupariae (S&A), on the trunks and wood of Betula; once on the branches of Sorbus Aucuparia.

- in nemoribus, et in sylvis aucupariis prope Latifundium Collis ad Cajanum, et praesertim in illa, quae vulgariter dicitur ‘il Ragnajоnе’ (Mich.), in the woodlands, and in the woodlands and in fowling [i.e. bird-catching] forests near the Latifundium Collis at Cajanum, and that one which is commonly called ‘il Ragnajone.’

- [Carex nemorosa] In sylvis aucupariis Regii Viridarii Boboli, & alibi in agro Florentino (Mich.), in the bird-catching forests of the [Royal Garden of Boboli, and elsewhere in the Florentine region.

NOTE: in Italian, the noun Ragnaja is “a fit place to catch birds with a net” [Baretti’s Italian Dictionary].

Sapium,-ii (s.n.II) Jacquin. “From sap, Celtic, signifying fat; in allusion to the unctuous exudation from the wounded trunk. Euphorbiacece (Paxton).

Sapium aucuparium is said to be poisonous (Paxton).

Sylva,-ae (s.f.I) aucuparia (adj.A): a forest for fowling, i.e. the capture or hunting of birds, associated with the industrialized agriculture of the latifundia, villas or other large estates, a larger woodland than the nemus,-oris (s.n.III), which is more suited to pasturage; see sylva,-ae (s.f.I); see aucuparius,-a,-um (adj.A):

- [Marsilea terrestris] in umbrosis, et humidis fossarum aggeribus variis in locis, ut in sylva aucuparia, vulgo, ‘la Ragnaja del Poggio Imperiale,’ et in quodam Imprunetae castaneto nuncupato ‘Lojano’ (Mich.), in various shady places, and the humid earthen dikes of ditches, such as in the fowling-forest, commonly [called] ‘la Ragnaja del Poggio Imperiale,’ and in a certain Castanea association of Impruneta called ‘Lojano.’

- in territorio Scandicci, secus torrentem Grevis, in ambulacro ante sylvam aucupariam D. D. Altovitorum (Mich.), in the [municipal] territory of Scandicci [Tuscany], along the Grevis torrent [river], in the avenue [i.e. promenade] before the bird-hunting forest of the lords of [the House of] Altoviti.

- ubi antedictum, speciatim in aucuparia sylva circa medium ambulacrum Regiae praedictae Villae. (Mich.), in the place where spoken of before, in particular the bird-snaring forest around the middle [wooded] avenue of the Royal Villa previously named.

- in ima parte sуlvae aucupariae DD. Sacchettinorum non longe Florentia, nuncupata ‘il Pollajo’ (Mich.), in the deepest part of the bird-catching forest of the Lords of Saccettini, not far from Florence, called ‘il Pollajo’ [i.e. The Hen-House].

NOTE: House of Sacchetti, a noble Italian family.

- nascitur in senticosis locis non longé Florentia, tum circa Casiniani Ecclesiam secus rivulum sуlvae aucupariae DD. Pucciorum nuncupatum ‘il Borro di Vingone,’ tum in Divi Leonardi Cura, in loco dicto ‘Carraja’ juxta nemus Donniniorum (Mich.), it arises in places full of briars not far from Florence, first around the Church of Casiniano along the streamlet of the bird-catching forest of the Lords of the [House of] Pucci called ‘il Borro di Vingone,’ then in the administration of Saint Leonard, in the place called ‘Carraja’ near the woodland of [the village of] Donnini.