A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Gemmula,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. gemmula: gemmule, “(obsol.) the plumule; also the ovule” (Lindley); little bud, used of the buds of mosses and reproductive bodies of algae, [also] certain primary formative granules in the protoplasm (Naegeli)” (Jackson); an ovule;

NOTE: “a small plant bud; any of various minute self-multiplying particles considered in the theory of pangenesis to be transmitted from somatic to germ cells and to mediate the production in a new individual of cells like those in which they originated; a bud produced in gemmation, esp. an internal resistant asexual reproductive body of sponges (as of the genus Spongilla)” (WIII);

- gemmulae in loculis solitariae, ovules in the loculi solitary (Stearn).

- germina quinqué verticillata uniloculata unigemmulata. Gemmula erecta prope loculi basin affixa (F. Mueller), the ovaries five, verticillate, with one locule, unigemmulate. The ovules erect, attached near the base of the locules.

- germen triloculare multigemmulatum. Gemmulae placentis centralibus axin septorum marginantibus ope funiculi brevis affixae in loculis biseriatae (F. Mueller), the ovary with three cavities, multigemmulate, with the placentae central [bordering] the axis of the septa attached with the help of a short funiculus, in two rows in the locules.

- gemmulae ex apice loculi suspensae (F. Mueller), the ovaries suspended from the apex of the locule.

- gemmulae plures margini septorum biseriate affixae (F. Mueller), the ovules many, biseriately attached to the margin of the septa.

- gemmulae ángulo loculorum centrali biseriatim insertae adscendentes (F. Mueller), the ovules ascending, inserted in two rows in the central angle of the locules.

- gemmulae in unoquoque lóculo circiter 8, funiculo brevissimo in strophiolam laceram dilátato afíixae (F. Mueller), .ovules in each locule around 8, attached by a very short dilated funiculus into a lacerate strophiole.

- gemmulae collatérales adscendentes e basi anguli ventralis germinis (F. Mueller), the ovules side by side, ascending from the base of the ventral angle of the ovary.

- (moss) gemmulam minimam e foliis duobus lato-ovalibus brevi acuminatis minimis brunneis compositam sed antheridiis carentem invenimus, quam florem masculum antheridiis abortivis esse putamus (C.Muell.), we have encountered a tiny gemmule composed of two leaves, broadly oval, short-acuminate, very small, brown, but lacking antheridia, which we consider to be the male flower [i.e. perigonium], with the antheridia abortive.

NOTE: in the following passage, the gemmules of the moss theca seem to refer to primordial cells (not to gemmae or some other brood body); the ‘seeds’ refer to the spores which the theca produces:

[moss] [Eucamptodon] gemmulae thecae, quas Cl. Montagne descripsit, cellulae sunt primordiales seminum juniorum (C. Mueller), the gemmules [i.e. gemmae] of the theca, which the eminent Montagne described, are the primordial cells of the younger seeds.