A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

ephemeral, ephemerous, fleeting, transitory, short-lived, with a short life cycle; “enduring but a day” (Lindley); “1. lasting for a day or less, as the corolla of Cistus; 2. used by Mobius as ephemeral polycarpic plants, which flower several generations in the same year, as Stellaria media, Cyr.” (Jackson); “lasting for one day or less” (Fernald 1950); (in mosses) “short-lived” (Magill 1990): ephemerus,-a,-um (adj.A) [> Gk. ephEmeros,-on, living but a day, short-lived, for the day, daily (>(h)Emera, day]; fugiens-entis (part.B):, fleeing, escaping, to pass quickly, hasten away; fugax, gen.sg. fugacis (adj.B, declined as simplex, q.v.); cf. transiens,-euntis (part.B + ad or in + acc.), transient, changing; cf. transitorius,-a,-um (adj.A); cf. caducus,-a,-um (adj.A), deciduous, diurnus,-a,-um (adj.A); see time; opp. persistent, q.v.; cf. annual, lasting a year, recurring yearly; see evanescens,-entis (part.B), evanidus,-a,-um (adj.A); see disappearing;

- floribus ephemeris, with flowers quickly withering.

-ramo fructifero fugaci distinguenda, to be distinguished by the fruit-bearing branch short-lived.

- caulibus cito fugacibus, with quickly withering stems.

- flores rosacei, petalis fugacissimis, saepius ephemeri, semper diurni, flavi albi aut purpurei, ungue saepe discolore (DeCandolle), the flowers rosaceous, with the petals very fleeting, more often ephemeral, often diurnal [i.e. lasting for a day], yellow, white or purple, with the claw often of another color.

- fungus ipse ephemerus est: sed pilei ejus, substantia tenace praediti, postquam projecti sunt, paullatim exsiccati , diutissime persistunt (S&A), the fungus itself is ephemeral, but its pilei, provided with a tenacious substance, after it has been thrust out, after having dried out little by little, persist a very long time.

Ephemera,-ae (s.f.I) [> Gk. ephEmerE, fem. of ephEmeros}, a genus “(the type of the family Ephemeridae) of mayflies with shining transparent wings and strong functional legs” (WIII); in Gk. ephemEron is a May fly, the neuter of ephemEros “lasting a day, short-lived, daily” (WIII); Ephemerocybe, a fungus.

NOTE: opposite of evergreen, q.v. also of persistent, persisting, q.v., of ?? diutinus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v.

NOTE: sometimes diurnus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v. is synonymous with ephemeral.

NOTE: an Ephemer: [> Gk. ephEmerios, “short-lived” “1. Rikli’s term for introduced plants which are unable to persist, but soon disappear; 2. flowers which close after a short term of expansion” (Jackson); see ephemerophyte.

NOTE: in Gk, an ephEmeris,-idis (s.f.III) is a diary or journal “such as Caesar’s Commentarii” (Liddell & Scott).