A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

maceratus,-a,-um (part.A): macerated, i.e. softened by soaking, made tender or delicate by soaking or steeping; weakened, made weak; vexed, tormented, stressed [> L. macero,-avi,-atum, 1. “to make soft or tender, to soften by steeping or by exposure; to make wet soak, steep, macerate; to weaken in body or mind, deprive of vigor, exhaust, wear down, to waste away, enervate; (of the mind) to fret, vex, torment, distress” (Lewis & Short) > macer, macra, macrum (adj.A), q.v., soft, weakened]; see dissolved, eroded.

macerate (Eng.verb): “to cause (the body or its flesh) to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting; to cause (solid matter) to become soft or separated into constituent elements by steeping in fluid (as flax macerated in water); to cause to soften and fray as if long soaked in water; to soften and wear away esp. as a result of being wetted or steeped” (WIII).

ret (Eng.verb): “to soak or expose (as flax or hemp) to moisture in order to promote the loosening of the fiber from the woody tissue by bacterial action; to rot or injure by exosure to moisture” (WIII).

macerari: present passive infinitive, to be softened.

- [Arundo festucoides] densissimo caespite crescit. Ex ejus foliis aqua maceratis funes et varia opera textilia conficiunt Arabes (Desf.), it grows in the densest clump. The Arabs prepare from its leaves, softened [i.e. retted] in water, ropes and different textile works.

- [Lygeum spartum] folia et culmi aqua macerati funibus conficiendis inserviunt (Desf.), the leaves and the culms [i.e. stalks] softened [i.e. retted] with water serve for making ropes.

- autochthones seminibus maceratis tostisque utuntur (F. Mueller), the native peoples use the soaked [i.e. softened by soaking] and parched [i.e. toasted] seeds.

- Calycem a corolla distinctum negant Decaisnius aliique, sed in floribus bene maceratis calyx minimus dentibus seu angulis cum petalis alternantibus facile separatur (B&H), Decaine and others deny that the calyx is distinct from the corolla, but in flowers well soaked, the very tiny calyx, with teeth or angles alternating with the petals, is easily separated.

- in ovario v. fructu juniore macerato articuli ut in Eversmannia facile separantur (B&H), in the younger softened [i.e. by wetting] ovary and fruit, the joints are easily separated, as in Eversmannia.

- [Eversmannia] Genus Hedysaro arcte affine, etsi legumen primo intuitu inarticulatum videatur; articuli tamen etiam in ovario aqua macerato facile separantur (B&H), the genus is closely related to Hedysarum, even if the legume, at first impression, seems unarticulated; yet the articulations [i.e. joints] even in the ovary, softened with water, are easily parted.

- [fungi] minuta, notabilis, sed in aetate senili tantum (ut videtur) inventa: in Oxyacanthae ligno nudo pluviis macerato (S&A), minute, distinctive, but encountered in old age alone (apparently): on the bare wood of Exyacantha, softened in rainy places.

- [Conferva fontana nodosa, spermatis ranarum instar lubrica, major & fusca. The bigger Mouse-coloured Frog-Spawn Conferva.] “Conferva [growing by springs], nodose, lubricious [i.e. smooth and slippery] like the seed of frogs, larger and blackish-brown”]

Tamen ad tantam tenuitatem redacta, in aqua denuo macerata, etiam post plures annos, pristinam gelatinosam formam postliminio recuperat (Dill.), yet, even [when] reduced to so great a thinness, when once more macerated [i.e. soaked] in water, even after many years, with a return to its old condition, it recovers its pristine [i.e. original], gelatinous form.

- [Tremella marina tenuissima & compressa. The thready and Tape-like Laver; Tremella, marine, extremely thin [i.e. thready] and compressed [i.e. tape-like].]

Immo, ni sal marinus eluatur, commode servari nequeunt hæ species, quæ alias aqua dulci maceratæ virorem diutissime servant (Dill.), even more, unless the sea-salt is rinsed out, these species are impossible to preserve properly, while others soaked in fresh water, keep their green color for a very long time.

- [Usnea ceratoides candicans, glabra & odorata. The true Usnea of the Arabs].

Vinum, in quo Muscus arboreus maceratus, “Serapio altum ait inducere somnum, ventriculum corroborare, vomitiones compescere & alvi sistere profluvia." Hoc se expertum dicit Camellus (Dill.), wine in which the tree-like moss is steeped, is said by Serapius to induce a deep sleep, to strengthen the stomach, to restrain vomiting and arrest flows of the bowels.” Camellus informs us that he made a trial of this himself.

- [Usnea dichotoma compressa, segmentis capillaceis teretibus. The Orange- colour'd forked Usnea.]

“...ut ipse expertus sit: eleganter citrino tingere colore, vel in aqua maceratum, vel dentibus detritum: ex Valesia attulisse Platerum” (Dill.), “... as one may learn by experience: elegantly tinted with a lemon-yellow color, either when soaked in water, or worn away by the teeth: [Platerum [sic]] has reported it from Valesia [Switzerland].