A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

lividus,-a,-um (adj.A), liveus,-a,-um (adj.A), livius,-a,-um (adj.A): livid, “clouded with grayish, brownish, and bluish” (Lindley); a vague term which 'may be defined as the peculiar livery effect of adding grey and black to the range of hues between blue and red' (H.A. Dade), originally a blue or leaden colour' (Stearn 1983); ); “lead-colored, bluish-gray” (Stearn 1996); “pale lead-colored” (Fernald 1950); 'livid' was a color used by the Romans to refer to bruises, 'black and blue,' also bluish, blue [> liveo, 2., to be of a bluish color (also used of envy, although the English idiom is "green" with envy); fuscus,-a,-um (adj.A) is a grayish to blackish brown; see notes below; see clouded;

-[Brachychiton luridum] corolla paene biuncialis livida variegata, intus saltem ex parte tomentosa (F. Mueller), corolla almost two inches long, grayed, variegated, at least inside in part tomentose.

- flores purpurei v. lividi. (B&H), flowers purple or bluish-gray.

- flores violacei v. lividi (B&H), the flowers violaceous or bluish-gray.

- flores parvi nunc minimi v. mediocres, rarius majusculi, saepius albi virentes flavi v. livide purpurascentes, rarius rubri v. azurei (B&H), the flowers small, sometimes very small or medium, more rarely somewhat large, more often white, greenish, yellow of grayish purple, rarely red or azureous.

- Corollae saepius crassae, sub sole patentissimae, intus (supra) livide purpureae v. marmorato-maculatae rarius pallidae. (B&H),

- Algae compresso-planae aut cylindraceae,subcoriaceae dichotomo-fastigiatae, enerves ex livido vel olivaceo purpurascentes. (Agardh),

- Caespes 2-3 pollicaris ex livido purpurascens, exsiccatione nigrescens (Agardh), clumps 2-3-inches from a bluish-gray to purplish, with drying out, becoming black.

- color ex livido carneus (Agardh), the color from bluish-gray to flesh-colored.

- A. C. pileo carnoso tenuiusculo convexo - plano subviscoso e livido fuscescente (S&A), A. C. with the pileous fleshy, somewhat tender, convex-flat, somewhat viscous, becoming grayish-black from livid [i.e. a lead- or grayish-blue].

- ejus apex intense niger est, unde aetate adulta color versus marginem per livido - coeruleum albescit: simili fere ratione stipes etiam e nigricante sursum pallere solet (S&A), its apex is intensely black,

-[Brachychiton luridum] corolla paene biuncialis livida variegata, intus saltem ex parte tomentosa (F. Mueller), corolla almost two inches long, dingy, variegated, at least inside in part tomentose.

- [fungus] Amanita porphyria pileo carnoso tenuiusculo convexo-plano subviscoso e livido fuscescente, lamellis subconfertis emarginato-adnexis laete violaceo-purpureis decolorantibus, stipite tenui fibrilloso subbulboso purpurascente, cortina ferruginea (S&A), Amanita porphyria with a fleshy pileus, somewhat thin, convex-flattened, slightly viscous, from a leaden [i.e. grayed]-purple [color] to darkish brown, with the lamellae somewhat close together, emarginate- [i.e. with a sudden curve or notch at point of attachment to stipe]-adnexed [i.e. just (narrowly) reaching the stem] fading to a deep violet-purple, with the stipe thin, fibrillose, somewhat bulbous, becoming purple, the cortina [i.e. annulus] rust-colored.

NOTE: one of the definitions of livid is: “ashen, pallid, ghastly, gray” (WIII), hence in English color terms, the prefix “livid-“ to a color indicates the color is mixed with gray: ‘livid brown’ is a graysh red; ‘livid pink’ is a grayish pink; ‘livid purple’is a grayish reddish purple, etc. (following WIII).

NOTE: Lead (color):a nearly neutral, slightly reddish dark gray that is lighter and slightly bluer than grebe - called also ‘squirrel’ (WIII). Lead, a metal “that is bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily in moist air to dull gray” (WIII).