A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

paucus,-a,-um (adj.A): a few, a small number of, a little; small in quantity or extent; more often in the plural: pauci,-ae,-a (pl. adj.A); plural substantive, pauci,-orum, (pl.m.II), abl. pl. paucis, a few; compar. paucior,-ius (adj.B): superl. paucissimus,-a,-um (adj.A); syn. (dim.) pauxillus,-a,-um (adj.A), a very little; opp. plerusque, pleraque, plerumque (adj.pl.A), q.v., ‘very many, a large part;’ see plerusque, pleraque, plerumque (adj.pl. A), ‘very many, a large part;’ cf. pauper;

[compar. paucior,-ius (adj.B): superl. paucissimus,-a,-um (adj.A), the fewest, the least;

Pauca,-orum (n.pl.II), (only) a few things, only a small number of things;

- inter paucos; inter paucas; inter pauca; also in paucis: “among a small number, i.e. unusually, uncommonly); (paucis) in only a few respects; ‘in just a few [words], very briefly” (Glare).

NOTE: paucus,-a,-um (adj.A) is ‘small in quantity, few,’ whereas parvus,-a,-um (adj.A) is mostly ‘small in size;’

- flos Rosaceus ex pluribus aut paucioribus petalis quam quatuor componitur (Tourn.), the rosaceous flower is composed of either more or fewer petals than four.

- inter paucos (as –adj) among a small number, i.e. unusually, uncommonly” (Glare).

- paucis diebus, in a few days;

- (algae) Sphaerosporae sphaericae aut oblongae (in paucioribus generibus tantum notae) (Agardh), the sphaerospores either spherical or oblong (only known in fewer genera).

- species ad 60, pleraeque Americae tropicae incolae, paucae Asiaticae, species to 60, a large part inhabitants of tropical America, a few of Asia.

- flores omnes fértiles v. pauci ad basin v. apicem spadicis abortu unisexuales (B&H), all of the flowers fertile or a few at the base or apex of the spadix by abortion unisexual [i.e. of only one sex].

- [Rhynchosporeae] setae hypogynae 6 v. pauciores v. 0, rarius squamiformes (B&H), the hypogynous [i.e. seated below the ovary] bristles 6 or fewer or none, more rarely scale-like.

- [Scirpeae] setae v. squamae hypogynae dum adsint 6 v. pauciores, rarius oo, filiformes v. planae (B&H), hypogynous bristles or scales, when they may be present 6 or fewer, more rarely [numerous], filiform or flat.

- umbella terminalis, vaginis paucis rigide paleaceis spathiformibus involucrata (B&H), the umbel terminal, involucrate with the sheathes few, stiffly chaffy, in the form of a spathe.

- spathae pauciores (4-6), alternae, distichae, remotiusculae, divaricatae (Swartz), spathes fewer (4-6), alternate, distichous [i.e. in two rows or ranks], somewhat distant, divaricate.

- partes florum a numero normali ternario saepe aberrant in Cissampelideae et hinc inde in speciebus v. speciminibus paucis generum aliorum (B&H), the parts of the flowers often deviate from the normal number in fours in the Cissampelideae and here and there in species or in a few exampless of other genera.

- carpella matura 3 v. pauciora, mature carpels three or fewer.

- numerus staminum saepe variat, 1. paucior (6-10.) I. multiplex (20-30.) (Swartz), the number of stamens often varies, either [l. = vel] fewer (6-10) or [l. = vel] a multiple (20-30).

- bracteis brevioribus, paucioribus differt, it differs by the bracts shorter, fewer.

- species descriptae ultra 70, sed ad 50 vel pauciores reducendae, species described beyond 70, but should be reduced to 50 or fewer.

- sepala 2-5, rarius 6; petala totidem v. plura v. abortu pauciora, sepals 2-5, more rarely 6; petals just as many or more or fewer by abortion.

- venis lateralibus paucioribus, racemis paucioribus, e 1–2 (non 2–4) paribus florum constantibus, staminibus paucioribus, usque 27 ( non plus quam 36), with the lateral veins fewer, by the racemes fewer composed of 1-2 (not 2-4) pairs of flowers, by the stamens fewer, to 27 (not more than 36).

- flores simplices monopetali anomali, etiamsi pauciores, multiformes tamen sunt: nec singulari nomine comprehendi possunt (Tourn.), anomalous [i.e. irregular] monopetalous [i.e. gamopetalous] simple [i.e. not compound] flowers, even if fewer, however, they are of many shapes: they cannot be comprehended with a single name.

NOTE: paucus,-a,-um (adj.A), usually in the plural, means ‘little’ in the sense of 'few': e.g. "pauca foramina," erroneously rendered as "with openings little" = paucis foraminibus, “with few openings;”

- stamina definita et libera in Sterculiaceis Lasiopetaleis, et in Tiliacearum speciebus perpaucis (B&H), stamens determinate and free in Sterculiaceae, Lasiopelateae, and in very few species of the Tiliaceae.

perpaucus,-a,-um (adj.A): very few, very little (in number);

- sepala minute dentiformia v. omnino inconspicua in generibus perpaucis saepius monotypicis (B&H), the sepals finely tooth-shaped or entirely inconspicuous in a very few genera, more often monotypic.

- staminibus tubo insertis v. hypogynis in generibus perpaucis parvis per varios Ordines dispersis (B&H), with the stamens inserted on the tube or hypogynous in a very few small genera scattered throughout the various Orders.

- seminum funiculi in speciebus perpaucis Indicis stipulaceis apice leviter dilatati videntur, an vere strophiolati? (B&H),, the funiculi of the seeds in a very few Indian species appear stipulaceous, at the apex slightly dilated, perhaps truly strophiolate?