A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Crus, gen. sg. cruris (s.n.III), acc. sg. crus, dat.sg. cruri, abl. sg. crure, nom. & acc. pl. crura, gen.pl. crurum, dat. & abl. pl. cruribus: leg, 'supports of a bridge,' sometimes used of the divisions or forks of the peristome teeth as in Ditrichaceae and Dicranaceae; the ‘crura’ “divisions of the teeth of the peristome in Mosses” (Jackson) [> L. crus, gen. sg. cruris (s.n.III), the leg, shank, shin; esp. the lower leg; ‘for pes, foot; of plants, the lower part of the stalk’ (Lewis & Short), the main stem of a shrub, etc. (Glare)]; note in English, a leg could be “a branch of a forked or jointed object (as an instrument), e.g. the legs of a compass” (WIII); ; also “the part of a plant stem between the base and the point from which branches arise (‘the bush should have a 6 to 9 inch leg, free from growth’ J. H. Watt)” (WIII), also “either side of a triangle as distinguished from the base or hypotenuse” (WIII); see triangle;

NOTE: crus, gen.sg. cruris has been used for pes, gen.sg. pedis (s.m.III), the foot (Lewis & Short); hence bipes, gen.sg. bipedis (adj.B) = bicruris, e (adj.B), q.v., with two feet, legs, stalks, stipes, etc. (sec. Lindley, followed by Jackson)).

NOTE: latus,-eris (s.n.III), abl. sg. latere is a synonym of crus, gen.sg. cruris (s.n.II), abl. sg. crure, as the ‘leg’ or ‘side’ of a triangle;

- folia caulina triangula lateribus vel cruribus aequalibus, the cauline leaves triangular with the sides or legs equal.

NOTE: as to the moss peristome, the ‘legs’ are segments of the divided teeth, it is a division of the peristome tooth, not the tooth itself (dens, gen.sg. dentis; pl. dentes, ‘tooth’).

- ‘legs’ as in English:

- synnemata capite, corpore, cruribus ennata, synnemata issuing from the

head, body and legs.

‘segments;’

- stylus filiformis apice breviter bifidus, cruribus acutis (F. Mueller), the style filiform, at the apex shortly bifid, with the legs [i.e. divisions] acute.

- stylus stamina superans roseus mox reclinatus, cruribus recurvatis (F. Mueller), the style over-topping the stamens, rose-colored, soon reclinate, with recurved legs [i.e. divisions].

- [algae, fresh-water] cytioplasm chlorophyllosa cellulae a fronte cruciatim disposita, cujus crura e laminis duabus parietalibus divergentibus granum amylaceum unicum involventibus formantur (Wood), the cytioplasm chlorophyllose, deposited [in the form of a cross] from the front of the cell [i.e. as seen from the front end of the cell - Wood], the crura [i.e. legs] of which are formed from the two diverging parietal laminae enclosing a single starch grain.

- [mosses] peristomium normale cruribus subulatis inaequalibus (C. Mueller), the normal peristome with the legs [i.e. forks of the peristome teeth] subulate, unequal.

- [mosses] peristomii dentes usque ad basin in crura dua divisi, peristome teeth divided to the base into two "legs," or divisions.

- [mosses] peristomii dentes 2 mm alti, in 2 crura divisi; teeth of the peristome 2 mm tall, divided into two crura [crura is acc. sing].

- [mosses] cruribus lineari-subulatis, apice subulatis fragilibus, valde hygroscopicis, with the peristome teeth [lit. ‘legs’] linear-subulate, subulate at the apex, fragile, strongly hygroscopic.

- [mosses] peristomii dentes 16 fusci profunde bifidi, saepe ad basin lacunosi, cruribus filiformibus articulatis varioque modo simul concretis (Mueller), teeth of the peristome 16, brownish-black, deeply bifid, often at the base lacunose [i.e. with gaps or holes], with the forks filiform, jointed, and at the same time grown together in various degrees.

NOTE: crus, gen.sg. cruris (s.n.III) used by Warnstorf for the sides or legs of a triangle as applied to a triangular Sphagnum stem leaf;

- folia caulina triangula vel triangulo-lingulata cruribus aequalibus, the stem leaves triangular or triangular-lingulate, with the legs [i.e. sides] equal.

- folia caulina triangula cruribus aequalibus vel triangulo- lingulata vel lingulata, stem leaves triangular with the legs equal or trianulat-lingulate or lingulate.

- folia caulina triangula lateribus vel cruribus aequalibus, the cauline leaves triangular with the sides or legs equal.

- folia caulina triangula cruribus aequis, the cauline leaves triangular with the legs equal.

- folia caulina parva, aequilateraliter vel breviter aequicruri-triangula, quasi 0,9 mm longa lataque, stem leaves small, equilaterally or shortly [equal-sided] -triangular.

- folia caulina minuta, aequilateraliter vel breviter aequicruri-triangula, 0,6—1,14 mm longa et lata, cauline leaves minute, equilaterally or shortly equal-sided [i.e. isosceles]- triangular, 0.1 to 1.14 mm long and wide.

- cellulae chlorophylliferae sectione transversali aequicruri-triangulae, interiore folii superficie inclusae, the chlorophylliferous cells in transverse section equal-sided [i.e. isosceles]- triangular, included in the inner surface of the leaf.

aequicrurius,-a,-um (adj.A): = isoskelEs, of equal legs, isosceles (in geometry, of the triangle); of a triangle with two equal sides; isosceles-triangular;

- triangulum,-i (s.n.II) aequicrurium (adj.A), abl. sg. triangulo aequicrurio, an isosceles triangle [i.e. with two sides equal].

Carex crus-corvi (crow-spur Sedge), the crow’s leg or shank.

Crus-galli, cock-spur [the ‘leg’ of a cock] (L. gallus, s.m.II, a cock) Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.

Tinea cruris [L. cruris ‘of the [forks of the] legs] “a dermatomycosis of the groin, perineum, and perianal region caused by Epidermophyton floccosum (Harz) Lang. & Miloch, and species of Trichophyton; ‘jockey itch, gym itch, jock-strap itch, etc.” (S&D); see tinea,-ae (s.f.I).