A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

superstes,-itis (adj.B): “one who stands by or is present at anything, a by-stander, witness; that remains alive after another’s death, outliving, surviving; constr. usu with dat. less freq. with gen. or absol. (Lewis & Short) [> L. super + sto: supersto, supersteti, from superstare 1. to stand over, stand upon, to stand on top of; to survive (after Glare)].

NOTE: the verb superstito,-are 1. is derived from the adj. superstes + -o, “to cause to remain in existence; to remain in existence, last” (Glare); also, to keep alive, preserve; to be over or remaining.

1. SUPERSTES,-it is, as adjective: standing over (as the body of a defeated enemy); standing by as a witness; remaining alive after the death of another, surviving, with dat. of person, event outlived; also w. genitive); (of things) remaining in existence after the removal of the rest” (Glare).

                singular
Nom. superstes (m., f.)     superstes (n.)
Gen. superstitis            superstitis
Dat. superstiti             superstiti
Acc. superstitem            SUPERSTES
Abl. superstiti             superstiti  [note, not –e, which is the noun ending)

                plural
Nom. superstites (m.,f.)   SUPERSTITIA (n.)
Gen. superstitIUM          superstitIUM
Dat. superstitibus         superstitibus
Acc. superstites           SUPERSTITIA
Abl. superstitibus         superstitibus

- notabilem fungum in pennis ossiculisque superstitibus cadaveris unici corvini (Corvi Cornicis L.) putredine jamjam conficiendi, loco umbroso jacentis, invenimus (S&A), we came across this remarkable fungus on the feathers and preserved small bones of a solitary crow-carcass (Corvi Cornicis L.), already finishing with putrefaction, fallen in a shady place.

- [fungus] in [var. g], loco humido caeduo semel lecta Septembri, flocci volvae diruptae superstites in pileo ac stipite cernuntur(S&A), in var. g., in a moist place ‘suitable for cutting’ [i.e. coppice or copse wood] once collected in September, the remaining flocci of the broken volva discerned on the pileus and stipe.

2. SUPERSTES,-ITIS (as substantive): superstes (sg. m. or f.III) gen. superstitis, abl.sg. superstite; there is no neuter gender for this noun.

      singular      plural       superstes,-itis: a witness, a survivor
  [note: this noun is a consonant stem, not an i-stem, hence –um in genitive pl. (not –ium)]

Nom.  superstes    superstites
Gen.  superstitis  superstitum
Dat.  superstiti   superstitibus
Acc.  superstitem  superstites
Abl.  superstite   superstitibus

NOTE: in genealogical texts:

- s.p.s.: abbr. = sine prole superstite: without surviving issue (superstite = abl.sg.adj. modifying prole) [proles,-is (s.f.III), abl.sg. prole (offspring, progeny)]. It appears that the person to whom this phrase applies has had progeny (issue), but they did not survive him or her.

NOTE: ‘superstite,’ as it is usually spelled, suggests a noun: one who remains alive after the death of another. It is usually translated as though ‘superstite’ was an adj. modifying ‘prole.’ The grammar of ‘superstite’ is the same in the following:

- d.s.p.m.: abbr. = decessit sine prole mascula superstite, died without surviving male issue, a person who died without having had male children who outlived, i.e. survived, him.