A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

serpentinus,-a,-um (adj.A): relating to snakes; snake-like, i.e. bent backwards and forwards into a wavy line, meandering, sinuous, flexuose; related to or growing on serpentine rock; see flexuosus,-a,-um (adj.A); see zigzag; see sinuosus,-a,-um (adj.A);

- Ibidem & animalia visendae magnitudinis: in Serpentino genere, Crocodilus aliique stupendae longitudinis & crassitiei nascuntur (Ray), in the same place arise animals for the observing of magnitude: among the serpentine [i.e. crawling] sort, the Crocodile and others of astonishing length and thickness.

- [moss] Cellularum forma. Diversissima, brevis vel elongata, angusta vel ampla, exacte prosenchymatica (hypnoidea vel angulata) parietibus strictis composita vel pluries flexuosa (serpentina) (C. Muell.), the shape of the cells. Very diverse, short or elongate, narrow or wide, precisely prosenchymatic (hypnoid or angled), composed of straight walls or many flexuose (serpentine).

- [moss] folia caulina latissime-ovalia apice rotundata basi e cellulis longiusculis angustis apice oblique-quadratis valde serpentinis amplis inanibus composita (C. Muell.), the stem leaves very broadly oval, rounded at the apex, composed at the base from rather long, narrow, at the apex obliquely quadrate, strongly serpentine [i.e. flexuose] large empty cells.

- [moss] folia e cellulis breviusculis angulato-serpentinis subamplis composita (C. Muell), the leaves made up of cells, rather shorter, angled-serpentine [i.e. flexuose] somewhat large.

- [moss] foliorum cellulae basilares longiusculae angustae ductibus homomorphis, mediae ductibus heteromorphis, apicales valde serpentinae ampliores ductibus homomorphis (C. Mueller), basal cells of the leaves somewhat long, narrow, with ducts of one shape, the middle cells with heteromorphic ducts, the apical cells strongly serpentine, larger with homomorphic ducts.

- [moss] cellulae anguste et serpentino- areolatae, the cells narrow and serpentine [i.e. flexuose]- areolate.

- [moss] folia caulina longe oblonga erecta apice rotundato-truncata marginata concava, tenuissime membranacea, e cellulis longissimis angustis, ductibus heteromorphis, latiusculis interpositis, textura rameorum, serpentinis formata (C. Mueller), stem leaves long-oblong, erect, at the apex rounded-truncate, bordered, concave, very thinly membranaceous, [composed] of very long, narrow cells with heteromorphic rather wide ducts placed among them, the tissue of the branches formed with serpentine ones [i.e. ducts].

- [Sphagnum; [moss]] retis areolis serpentinis angustis basi latioribus apice brevioribus (C. Mueller), the network [i.e. areolation] with areoles [i.e. small areas] serpentine, narrow, wider at the base, shorter at the apex.

- [moss] folia e cellulis subparvis utriculo primordiali tenerrimo serpentino- flexuoso praeditis pellucidis areolata (C. Mueller), leaves composed of somewhat small cells [with the primordial utriculous very thin … TO DO

- [moss] folia ramea e cellulis angulato-serpentinis vermiformibus angustioribus tenuibus formata (C. Mueller), branch leaves formed from angled-serpentine, vermiform [worm-like] cells, narrower, thin.

Ophioxylon serpentinum; Plantago serpentina

Centaurea serpentinica; Emilia serpentina, [lichen] Graphis serpentinus.

NOTE: Twining, (volubilis,-e (adj.B)), a weak stem that twines in a serpentine form round other plants; also Twisted, (tortilis,-e (adj.B)), when it is spirally twisted, or forms a serpentine line (Willdenow).