A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin


Nerve, “ nerves, nervures: the ribs or principal veins of a leaf” (Lindley); “a simple (unbranched) vein or slender rib” (Fernald 1950): nervus,-i (s.m.II), acc. sg. nervum, dat. & abl. sg. nervo, nom. pl. nervi, gen. pl. nervorum, acc. pl. nervos, dat. & abl. pl. nervis [> L. nervus,-i (s.m.II), a sinew, tendon, nerve, a string, as of gut, used in musical instruments, bowstrings]; cf. veining; see vein; see nervule; cf. phleb-, phlebo-: in Gk. comp., vein- [> Gk. phleps, gen. sg. phlebos (s.f.III) a vein, also a vein of metal]; NOTE: the Greek noun neuron (s.n.II), “a sinew, tendon; gut, cord, made of sinew; the cord of a sling” (Liddell & Scott) is used in botany as nearly a synonym of the L. nervus,-i (s.m.II). - nervus medius (adj.A), midrib, central or main vein. - nervus centralis (adj.B), midrib, central or main vein. - nervo medio supra bene impresso, with middle nerve above well impressed. - cavendum in hac, ne ostiola cum setulis foliorum nervos obsidentibus, primo obtutu subsimilibus, confundantur (S&A), care should be taken in this, lest the ostioles are confounded at first sight with the setulae covering the nerves of the leaves and nearly alike. - on petiolis nervisque foliorum Aceris Pseudoplatani semiputrium dejectorum non infrequens (S&A), not infrequent on the petioles and nerves of half-rotted, fallen leaves of Acer Pseudoplatanus. - folia acuminata, laevia, integerrima, nervosa: nervis transversis (Swartz), the leaves acuminate, smooth, completely entire, [with strong nerves]: with the nerves transverse [i.e. crosswise to the long axis]. - folia nervis subtus ciliatis (Swartz), the leaves with nerves ciliate underneath. - nervis margineque retro -denticulatis (Swartz), with the nerves and the margin backwards-denticulate. - folia nervis parallelis lineata (Swartz), leaves lined with parallel nerves. - nervi subtus protuberantes, nigri (Swartz), the nerves underneath protuberant, black. - foliis subtus in nervis pilosiusculis inter nervos pubescentibus (DeCandolle), with the leaves below on the nerves somewhat pilose, between the nerves pubescent. - folia simplicia (1-foliolata), petiolo brevissimo, penninervia, v. 3-nervia nervis lateralibus costa multo tenuioribus (B&H), leaves undivided (1-leafletted), with the petiole very short, pinnately nerved, or 3-nerved with the lateral nerves much thinner than the costa [i.e. central nerve]. NOTE: limbalis,-e (adj.B): applied to connecting marginal nerve of anastomosing nerves of leaves (Stearn). NOTE: the midrib of fern-pinnae: costula,-ae (s.f.I) 'little rib;' of mosses: costa,-ae (s.f.I) 'rib.' NOTE: without perceptible nerves and veins: avenis,-e (adj.B), avenius,-a,-um (adj.A); enervis,-e (adj.B) (the opposite of nervosus or venosus). NOTE: “Nerve: used for principal or more conspicuous unbranched veins starting from the midrib or base of the blade, as distinguished from those which divide or branch and are termed veins or veinlets: nervus,-i (s.m.II); nervus secundarius (adj.A), also nervus lateralis (adj.B), ‘secondary nerve;’ the midrib being nervus medius (adj.A) (Stearn). NOTE: costa: “the midrib of a leaf; that part which is a direct extension of the petiole, and whence the veins arise; a leaf may have many costae” (Lindley). Nerve, little: nervulus,-i (s.m.II), abl. sg. nervulo, q.v.; nervillus,-i (s.m.II), abl. sg. nervillo. NOTE: in classical Latin nervus meant sinew, tendon, nerve, that is, a reference to an animal body. Scutellaria nervosa, “prominently nerved” (Fernald 1950) leaves “when young copiously strigose on upper surface, with nerve-like veins prominent beneath” (Fernald 1950); Chrysopsis nervosa, ‘nerved’ a species with “midnerve and parallel lateral nerves prominent beneath” (Fernals 1950).
-nerve (noun): in Gk. comp. -neuron,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. neuro; -neurum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. -neuro [> Gk. neuron (s.n.II), “a sinew, tendon; gut, cord, made of sinew; the cord of a sling” (Liddell & Scott); - Alloneuron,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. Alloneuro; Blepharoneuron,-i; Cratoneuron,-i; Erioneuron,-i; Oligoneuron ,-i; Trineuron,-i. - Aneura,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. Aneura; Brochoneura,-ae; Dictyoneura,-ae; Hemineura,-ae; Pantoneura,-ae; Schizoneura,-ae. - Sarconeurum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. Sarconeuro, S. glaciale, S. antarcticum; Coeloneurum,-i; Cryptoneurum,-i; Decaneurum,-i; Oligoneurum,-i; Pterygoneurum,-i. NOTE: no generic names were found to end in -neurus or -neuros (masculine endings). The first declension version is probably admissible as it is the feminine form of the adjective -neurus,-a,-um: feminine adjective forms are often accepted as generic names (nouns).
nerve-: see vein-; in L. comp., nervi-, q.v. in Gk. comp. neur-, neuro-; see neur-, neuro-. in Gk. comp. phleb-, phlebo-, ‘vein-;’ see phleb,-phlebo;