A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

infernus,-a,-um (adj.A), lower, that which is beneath, underneath or below, lower; (in astronomy) more southerly; underground, subterranean; infernal, of the underworld; similar to the underworld, deathlike; of or associated with the infernal deities, the deities of the underworld; opp. supernus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v., that which is above, above;

NOTE: not often used (except by Ray) and applied mostly applied to flat (i.e. upper and lower) surfaces, such as leaves;

Inferna,-orum (pl.n.II), abl.sg. infernis: the lower regions of the body.

- ovarium infernum, ovary inferior, i.e. bearing at its top the perigon, etc. (Stearn).

- caulibus infernis pubescentibus supernis glabris, with lower stems pubescent, upper stems glabrous.

- folia petiolata, supra hispida, inferna subhirsuta (Swartz), leaves petiolate, the upper hispid, the lower somewhat hirsute.

- caules item quadrati sunt, toti hirsuti: quorum geniculis apposita folia oblonga, acuminata, per ambitum serrata, molli lanugine canescentia, magis tamen inferna quam superna parte (Ray), furthermore the stems are four-angled [i.e. square], all of it [coarsely] hairy: of which the leaves are situated at the nodes [i.e. stem-joints], oblong, acuminate, serrate along its edge [i.e. circumference], canescent [i.e. grayish-white] with a soft down, but more in the lower part than the upper.

- foliis etiam oblongis, angustis, omnino serratis & crispis, parte superna virentibus, inferna candidis, calidi & amari gustus (Ray), also with the leaves oblong, narrow, serrate throughout and crisped, with the upper part green, the lower a pure white, of a hot and bitter [i.e. harsh] taste.

- foliis Bryoniae similibus, in quinas lacinias utplunmum divisis, palmaribus, &c. aliis multo minoribus, crassis, nervosis, lanugine nonnihil asperis, parte inferna canescentibus, & longis pediculis insidentibus (Ray), with the leaves similar to Bryonia, divided for the most part into five laciniae, a palm’s width [i.e. 3 inches], &c. the others much smaller, thick, [full of veins or with large veins], somewhat scattered with down, on the lower part canescent, and seated on long pedicels.