A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Cornucopia,-ae (s.f.I), and cornu copiae (cornu,-us (s.n.IV): horn of plenty; “the horn of the goat Amalthea placed in heaven, = Gk. keras amaltheias, “the emblem of fruitfulness and abundance” [> L. cornu copiae, horn of plenty; cornu,-us (s.n.IV),’horn’ + copiae (gen.sg. (s.f.I), ‘abundance’) “a hollowed-out horn used as a container, drinking-vessel, etc., esp. Cornu Copiae, a magic horn supposed to provide whatever its owner desired” (Glare)].

Horn of plenty: (fungi) “the edible Craterellus cornucopioides (L. ex Fr.) Pers.” (S&D). )].

Cornucopia, Linn. From cornu, a horn, and copia, plenty; the spike enclosed in the involucrum resembles the horn of plenty. Graminacece. This is an annual grass, that only requires to be sown in the open ground (Paxton).

NOTE: parts of this discussion (the Linnaean genus) were improved by a conversation with Dr. Kanchi Gandhi.

NOTE: [Ovid] “ … from a horn of the river god Achelous, broken off by Hercules, and consecrated by the Naiads” [Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, Smedley, Rose & Rose, eds.], symbol of fertility.

NOTE: the shape of a cornucopia, as often represented, is as a curved cone lying on its side [with fruits etc. gathered at the hollow, wide end]. An (animal) horn usually has its widest point at the proximal (basal) end, tapering upwards to a point (often, or usually curved). “Horn” shapes with the widest point at the distal end are more “funnel-shaped,” q.v., or “trumpet-shaped,” q.v.;

- cornucopiis supra quam infra paulo latioribus, with the cornucopiae somewhat wider above than below.

- Germen ovatum, compressiusculum, convexum, didymum. Stylus crassus, curvus (cornucopiae instar) (Swartz), the ovary ovate, slightly compressed, convex, twinned. The style thick, curved (like a cornucopia [=gen. sg.).

1. in the following organism, the epithet is most likely the genitive singular of the noun cornucopia,-ae (s.f.I):

[a marine worm:] Merona cornucopiae, Norman (species typical); Tubiclava Cornucopiae, Norman, the trophosome, hydrocaulus, consisting of slightly curved trumpet-shaped tubes.

Tubiclava Cornucopiae: reticulo tubulorum conchis viventibus adherentium basali; hydrothecis ab hoc reticulo assurgentibus cornucopiis forma similibus, supra quam infra paulo latioribus, suberectis, vix curvatis, subdiaphanis, incrementi lineis plus vel minus circumcinctis; polypis elongato-claviformibus, tentaculis filiformibus, discretis, et in capite et in stipite sparsis; gonophoris mori fructus formam referentibus, gonoblastidiis brevissimis, tubulis repentibus adjunctis, affixis [from the protologue]; with a basal reticulum of tubules adhering to living mussels [i.e. bivalve shellfish]; with the hydrothecae arising from this reticulum similar in form to cornucopiae, somewhat wider above than below, almost erect, scarcely curved, almost translucent, more or less encircled with lines of growth; with polyps elongate-claviform, with tentacles thread-like, separate, and scattered in the head and in the stalk; with the gonophores recalling the form of the fruit of Morus [i.e. the Mulberry tree], with the gonoblasts very short, with the tubules creeping, joined, attached.

“little trumpet-shaped tubes arise from a creeping base. Slightly curved tubular hydrothecae, narrow at the bottom, gradually increasing in diametre toward the distal extremity.”

2.

a) In botany, Linnaeus (Genera Plantarum 1754) included ‘Cornucopiae’ as a genus of grasses, a currently valid and accepted generic name. It may, at first, seem confusing that a genus name should end in -ae, an ending in the first (feminine) declension, especially as the epithets all have neuter endings. The generic name is actually two words: Cornu + copiae, cornu is a neuter 4th Declension noun, and copiae is in the genitive singular (of copia,-ae (s.f.I), ‘abundance’). The gender of the genus is neuter, after the gender of the noun ‘cornu,-us (s.n.IV).’

The generic characters include the involucre one-leaved, funnel-shaped [actually ‘horn’-shaped].

Cornucopiae Linn. “So named from the manner in which the flowers grow within their involucre, like a Cornucopia or horn of plenty); [of the genus] “Invol. One-leafed, funnel-form …” (Philip Miller: The Gardener and Botanist’s Dictionary).

- [“67. CORNUCOPIAE.* Cornucopioides Scheuch. 3. Cal. Perianthium commune, monophyllum, infundibuliforme, maximum: ore crenato, obtuso, patenti-erecto” Genera Plantarum.]

The following are species in the genus Cornucopiae L.: C. alopecuroides, C. altissimum, C. cucullatum, C. hyemale, C. involucratum, C. perennans (Index Kewensis).

Cornucopiae, the Hooded Grass, a genus of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plants (Poaceae): Cornucopiae cucullatum L. [Wikipedia June 2019].

Were the genus to be used in a sentence, the first element would follow the rules of grammar - the second element, as a genitive singular, would be constant (undeclined except as a genitive singular, First Declension).

[the two word elements combined are separated here as a convenience:]

singular plural the genus Cornucopiae L.

Nom. cornu copiae cornua copiae

Gen. cornus copiae cornuum copiae

Acc. cornu copiae cornua copiae

Dat. cornui copiae cornibus copiae

Abl. cornu copiae cornibus copiae b). when an epithet is used of a generic name in the Poaceae, it is probably a noun in apposition to the generic name, and refers to the Linnaean genus:

- Agrostis Cornucopiae = Cornucopiae perennans (Walter) = Agrostis perennans. c). When an epithet for a generic name not in the Poaceae is formulated with an -ae ending, the epithet is most likely a noun in the genitive singular of cornucopia,-ae (s.f.I):

- [Pimelea, Thymelaeaceae] herba 1-2-pedalis pluricaulis, generis longe pulcherrima, characteribus valde insignia, forsan Pimelea latifoliae affinis, habitu aliquatenus ad Pimeleam Cornucopiae approximans (F. Mueller), an herb, 1-2-feet, with many stems, far the most beautiful of the genus, very noteworthy by its characters, perhaps related to Pimelea latifolia, by the habit to some extent close to Pimelea Cornucopiae.

Fedia cornucopiae, the Horn-of-Plenty plant, (Caprifoliaceae or Valerianaceae) [= Valerianella cornucopiae (L.) Loisel.

Melaleuca cornucopiae (Myrtaceae), the flowering spike a horn-like structure.

Pimelea Cornucopiae (Thymelaeaceae).

Valeriana Cornucopiae (Purple Valerian) d). When an epithet for a generic name not in the Poaceae is formulated with a single -a ending, it is most likely a noun in apposition to the generic name, and is the nominative singular of cornucopia,-ae (s.f.I)

Datura cornucopia; Impatiens cornucopia; Ipomoea cornucopia; Thayeria cornucopia (Polypodiaceae); Tussacia cornucopia.

Teuscheria cornucopia Garay the Cornucopia-Shaped Teuscheria, in reference to the shape of the flower (Orchidaceae).