A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Spongia (or spongea),-ae (s.f.I): a sponge; = Gk. spongia, “a kind of porous stone, pumice-stone; a kind of moss” (Lewis & Short); a sponge (as a marine animal); also a growth on some roses caused by the gall-wasp, bedeguar-gall; a spongy plant, probably a puff-ball or some other fungus; a matted tuft of asparagus or other roots (after Glare);

NOTE: in compounds (epithets) the final ‘i’ of the noun is part of the stem (not a connecting vowel): e.g. spongiosus,-a,-um (adj.A), NOT spongosus; spongiifolius, spongiivalvis.

NOTE: the stem (spongi-) may be used in either Latin or Greek compounds.

- (alga) Hab. inter corallinas spongiasque in cavernis sinubusque a limite maris vehementioris parum remotis, luceque minus expositis (Agardh), it grows among the coralline [sc. algae] and sponges in the caverns and bays somewhat remote from the more vigorous [currents], and less exposed to the light.

- (alga) Hab. inter corallia spongiasque infra limitem maris (Agardh), it grows among the corals and sponges within the boundary of the sea.

- [algae] Hab. inter spongias et zoophyta in cavernis obscurioribus et ad saxa maris pròfundioris Mediterranei atque Adriatici frequenter (Agardh), it grows frequently among sponges and zoophytes in the darker caverns and on pm stpnes of the deeper sea of the Mediterranean and also of the Adriatic.

- [algae] Hab. inter spongias cavernarum obscuriorum infra limitem maris utriusque haud frequenter (Agardh), it grows not frequently among sponges of the more hidden caverns below the limit of both seas.

- [GENUS IX] Spongia. Eponge [= French, ‘sponge’] Spongia est plantae genus in aquis nascens, molle, & formainibus pervium (Tourn), Spongia is a kind of plant arising in water, soft [note neuter modifies ‘genus’] and perforated with openings.

- [fungus] substantia carnoso - fibrosa, spongiae ad instar bibula (S&A), the substance fleshy-fibrous, absorbent in the manner of a sponge.

- [Pisolithus; fungus] substantia stuposo -fibrosa, e filamentis longiusculis evidenter contexta, recens fusco - viridis, humida, latice aquoso veluti e spongia exprimendo perfusa (S&A), the substance fibrous with tow-like hairs, moist, covered with a watery latex as if being wrung out [i.e. pressed out] from a sponge.

- [fungus] pileus umbonatus, eius substantia spongioso – aquosa humida (S&A), the pileus umbonate, its substance spongy-watery, moist.

- [fungus] substantia tenacissima, suberoso-spongiosa, tempore sereno sicca, sed pluviarum, imo meri atmosphaerae humoris, avide bibula: unde fungus coelo humente madidissimus manu pressus spongiae prorsus ad instar aquam promit (S&A), the substance very tough, corky – spongy, dry in clear weather, but [in the time] of the rains, more precisely the unmixed water content of the atmosphere, avidly absorbent: from which source the completely wet [i.e. saturated] fungus, in the moistening weather, when pressed by the hand, puts forth water, very much like a sponge.

Spongia,-ae (s.f.I), L. (1758), family Spongiidae, sea sponges of some 60 species. Spongia officinalis is used domestically for cleaning.