A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

bini, binae, bina (adj. num. distr. plural, adj.A), [“gen. pl. always binum” (Lewis & Short)]: two, two each, two apiece, two at a time; a set of two, paired; the two, both; “two together, twin” (Lindley); two by two; with substantives that are used only in the plural (or have a different meaning in the singular); of things that match, as oxen in a yoke (boves bini); see ‘both;’

NOTE: bini (2), cf. trini (3), quaterni (4), quini (5), seni (6), septeni (7), octoni (8);

NOTE: gemini,-orum (pl.m.II), abl. pl. geminis: twins; “two together” (Lindley); cf. gemini,-orum (pl.m.II), abl. pl. geminis, twins; see geminus,-a,-um (adj.A), ‘born at the same time, twin-born, paired;’

- filis binis [= geminis] vel forsan quaternis, with the filaments doubled or perhaps in fours. singular plural m. f. n. Nom. [there is no bini binae bina Gen. singular] [binum] Dat. binis Acc. binos binas binos Abl. binis NOTE: in classical Latin the genitive plural “always bimum” (Lewis & Short).

- cellulae singulae vel binae, cells single or in pairs.

- scyphi bini, a pair of goblets.

- fructus (nom.pl.) bini, fruit in pairs.

- antherae quinque ad decem distinctae, quarum binae, ex único prodeunt tubérculo, pendulo-clavatae (saepe) (Necker), anthers five to ten, distinct [i.e. not fused], two [at a time] of which come forth from one tubercle, dependent-clavate [i.e. club-shaped] (often).

- (algae) sporae verae germinantes solitariae in cellulis binis copulatis: Desmidiaceae, Zygnemaceae (Braun); true germinating spores solitary in a set of two connected cells.

- antherae, 10, binae e singulo tubérculo prodeuntes, pendulae, clavatae, squamulis vaginae, tectae (Necker), anthers 10, two at a time emerging from a single tubercle, pendent, covered with the little scales of the sheath.

- capitula solitaria vel aggregata bina vel tria, capitula (pl.n.II) solitary or aggregated paired or three.

- costis nonnunquam singulis binisve ad commissuras, with costae sometimes single or two [i.e. paired] at the commissures.

- spica filiformis solitaria vel binae, spike filiform solitary or paired.

- postea vero divisione longitudinali in binas dividuntur, afterwards divided into two by a genuine longitudinal division.

- perianthium e sinu squamarum binarum, tubulosum, irregulariter 4-fidum (Swartz), the perianth from a recess of a pair of scales, tubulose, irregularly 4-divided [i.e. in the outer third].

- antherae quinqué ad decem distinctae, quarum binae, ex único prodeunt tubérculo (Necker), anthers 5 to 10, separated, of which (a set of) two, extendout from a single tubercle.

- [Corallina clavigera; algae] cystocarpiis ovatis, apice producto obtusissimo, interdum cornibus binis lateralibus ornatis, with the cystocarps ovate, prolonged at the very blunt apex, sometimes decorated with two lateral horns [i.e. spurs].

- spicae terminales, binae, erectiusculae, fere tetragonae, altera subpedicellata (Swartz), the spikes terminal, paired, somewhat erect, almost tetragonous, one of them nearly pedicellate.

NOTE: used with other numerals;

- bina millia passuum, two thousands of paces [= a Roman measure of length], two thousand paces.

NOTE: used as a neuter plural substantive:

- findi in bina (acc. pl.), to be cleft or split in two.

- fructus in bina secedens, fruit splitting apart into two.

- bis bina, twice two [i.e. four].

biniflorus,-a,-um (adj.A): “bearing flowers in pairs” (Lindley).