A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin


Lens (Eng. noun); usu. a hand magnifying glass: lens gen. sg. lentis (s.f.III), abl. sg. lenti or lente; also a lentil (legume) [> L. lens, gen. sg. lentis (s.f.III), a lentil]; cf. meniscus,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. menisco, nom. pl. menisci, acc. pl. meniscos, a concavo-convex lens; esp. one of true crescent-shaped section;” see microscope; see bean; NOTE: lente = abl.sg., often combined with some form of the verb ‘augeo,’ ‘with a [magnifying] lens;’ often confused with adv. of ‘lentus,-a,-um (adj.A),’ = lente (adv.) ‘slowly, without haste.’ - Válvula inferior carinata, margine integra, carina (lente) serrata (Swartz), the lower valve keeled, entire at the margin, the keel ([seen] with a lens) serrate. - setae capillares, (lente) cartilagíneo-serratae (Swartz), the bristles like hairs, ([seen] with a lens) cartilagineous-serrate. - folia petiolata, opposita, parva, subrotunda, lente serrata (Swartz), leaves petiolate, opposite, small, somewhat rounded, [seen] with a lens, serrate. - semina (lente echinata videntur) (Swartz), the seeds (seen with a lens, echinate). - FOLIA glutinosa, lente verrucosa (Swartz), leaves glutinous, [seen] with a lens, verrucose. - per lentem, through the lens. - sub lente, also sublente, ‘under a lens’ (the usual expression of eighteenth-century authors is, however, oculo armato, with the fortified [i.e. armed] eye), i.e. ‘very small’ or microscopic. - sub virto, under the glass [i.e. under a lens-shaped glass]. - carpellis lenticulari - compressis convexis sublente tenuissime punctulatis, mucrone minimo incurvo (Boissier), with the carpels lenticular [i.e. lens-shaped]-compressed, convex, under the lens very thinly punctulate, with the mucro very small, incurved. - (fungi) spiculae virgatae e sporulis arcte sessilibus constant, unde per lentem moniliformes apparent (S&A), the spicules wand-like, composed of sporules closely sessile, whence through the lens they appear moniliform. - perithecia aculeis (vix oculo armato manifestis at ope microscopii compositi perspicuis) obruta, perithecia with prickles (hardly evident under a lens but with the help of the compound microscope quite clear) covered (Stearn) Lens Mill. from the shape of the seed; L. culinaris Medic.; L. esculenta Moench., lentil [under the lens: subvitro (adv.) to do - siliqua, pube furcata, sub lente puberula munita (B&H), the silicle armed with a forked pubescence, puberulous under a lens. - frons sub lente cellulis elongatis diametro triplo et quadruplo longioribus (Agardh), the frond under the lens with elongate cells three and four times longer than the diameter. - carina (lente) serrata (Swartz), the keel (with a lens) serrate [i.e. the serrations are microscopic]. - semina solitaria, oblonga, convexa, fusca, pilosa; (lente echinata videntur.) (Swartz), the seeds solitary, oblong, convex, fuscous, pilose; (they seem echinate with the lens). - semina ovato-oblonga, sub lente muriculaia (DeCandolle), the seeds ovate-oblong, microscopically [i.e. under the lens] muriculate. - crusta nigra subcuticularis sphaerulas connectens, in oblique transcissa per lentem distincte visibilis (S&A), crust black, subcuticular, connecting the sphaerules together, obliquely, transversely split, visible through a lens. - sub lente a latere desuper picta, under the lens from the side drawn [looking] down from above. - [icon] ad modicum lentis augmentum seorsim pictum, pro Zoophyto item habendum sex brachiis instructo (l. c. fasc. 1. pag. 51 )! et similia plurima (S&A), [illustration), at a moderate augmentation of the lens, drawn separately, provided with six arms, also taken for a Zoophyte and very many similar things. - F i g. 6. Ceratium porioides [beta], flavum: (a) magnitudine nativa; ( b ) (c) ad augmenta lentis diversa. (NB. Icon haec sequensque minus idoneae) (S&A), Figura 6. Ceratium porioides, [beta], yellow: (a) with the natural size; (b) (c) at different augmentations of the lense. [nota bene [i.e. note well], this picture and the following less satisfactory [i.e. inaccurate]). - ceterum in fungo virgine laevis, per lentem poros (summa in sphaerularum collis stromati immersis orificia) ostendens, ferrugineo - terrea, dein nigrescens; (S&A), otherwise in the fresh fungus, through a lens, revealing pores (the uppermost orifices immersed in the stroma, in the necks of the sphaerules), rusty-earth colored, ultimately blackening. - omnium minima: oculo inermi vix visibilis, punctillum exilissimum referens, etiam per lentem modice augmentem Sphaeriolam Pezizulamve exiguam ostendit (S&A), the smallest of them all: with the naked [i.e. unarmed by a lens] eye scarcely visible,representing the weakest little dots, also it shows moderately augmented through the lens a meager Sphaeria [diminutive] or Peziza [diminutive]. Lens, gen. sg. Lentis (s.f.III) Mill. (Fabaceae), “from shape of seed” (Fernald 1950, although lens was the name of the Roman bean, Lens culinaris, ‘of the kitchen’, also L. esculenta (Leguminosae; Fabaceae); Lens the Lentil; “the classical name for this ancient pulse. Esau sold Jacob his birthright for a red-lentil pottage. The lens (magnifying flass) was so named from being shaped like a lentil seed” (Stearn 1996); - baccae reniformes orbiculatae subcompressae glabra; lentis magnitudine (DeCandolle), berries kidney-shaped, orbiculate [i.e. a plane shape], somewhat compressed, glabrous; with the size of a lentil. Cicer lens; Ervum lens = Lens esculenta, Lens culinaris = Lentil (English noun). NOTE: vitrum augens (part.B), a magnifying or enlarging glass; nom. pl. vitra augentia, magnifying glasses; see glass.
lens-shaped, lenticular, double-convex, biconvex, lentiform; lentil-shaped: lenticularis,-e (adj.B), lentiformis,-e (adj.B); cf. meniscoidalis,-e (adj.B), meniscoideus,-a,-um (adj.A): thin and concavo-convex, like a watch-glass; see discoid, biconvex, patelliform.
Lens, gen. sg. lendis: a nit; see lendiger,-gera,-gerum; see nit.