A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

symmetric, symmetrical: symmetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), symmetricus,-a,-um (adj.A); commensurable, proportional; “of a shoot or other plant part: capable of division by a longitudinal plane into similar halves, cf. actinomorphic, zygomorphic; of a flower: having the same number of members in each whorl of floral leaves’ cf. regular” (WIII); cf. aequalis,-e (adj.B), ‘that can be compared in respect to size or form; of equal size, looking alike; uniform, equable,’ congruens,-entis (part.B); to do

- folium bilateraliter symmetricum, leaf bilaterally symmetrical.

- rhizomata radiatim symmetrica, rhizomes radially symmetric.

- theca aequalis, cum vel absque annulo, theca uniform, with or without an annulus.

- flores saepissime dioici, masculi quoad partium numerum symmetrici (DeCandolle), the flowers are most often dioicous, the males are equal as to the number of parts.

- flores monoici, masculi quoad partium numerum non symmetrici (DeCandolle), the flowers are monoicous, the males not equal as to the number of parts.

- foliis obtuse acutatis symmetricis vel leniter obliquatis integerrimis, with the leaves obtusely rather acute, symmetric or lightly obliquate [i.e. twisted in an oblique direction], completely entire.

NOTE:

1. regularis,-e (adj.B), ‘regular, actinomorphic, radially symmetric, having all the parts of each series uniform, as in a flower in which all parts are similar in size and arrangement on the receptacle;’ of flowers “regular as to the number of its parts; having the same number of parts in each circle” (Fernald 1950).

2. even, equal: aequalis,-e (adj.B + dat.) that can be compared in respect to size or form; of equal size, looking alike, resembling, similar to;’ see equal, even; cf. uniform.

3. irregularis,-e (adj.B): irregular, 'bilaterally symmetrical; of a flower in which all' parts are not similar in size and arrangement on the receptacle', asymmetricus,-a,-um (adj.A) 'asymmetric;' zygomorphicus,-a,-um (adj.A) 'divisible into equal halves along one plane only,' inordinatus,-a,-um (adj.A) 'disordered,' abnormis,-e (adj.B) 'without rule, abnormal;' inaequalis,-e (adj.B) 'unequal.

3. is-, iso-: in Gk. comp., equal, homogeneous, uniform, like; cf. homo-, homoeo-, homoio-: in Gk. comp., like, of the same kind, agreeing; cf. heter-, iso-, ortho-;

- Isothecium Bridel, a genus of mosses, referring to the capsule (theca) that is symmetrical or nearly so; isochilus, with lip equal to other parts, equal-lipped; isomerus, with equal parts, i.e. with the number of parts in one floral whorl the same as in another whorl; isopetalus, with petals alike in size and shape; isopolaris, isopolar, with the poles uniform or equal; isostemonus, with the stamens equal and alike.

symmetric, symmetrical, “of a flower having the same number of parts in each floral whorl” (Harris & Harris); of flowers “regular as to the number of its parts; having the same number of parts in each circle” (Fernald 1950): symmetrus,-a,-um (adj.A), symmetricus,-a,-um (adj.A); cf. asymmetric; also ‘agreeing with,’ cf. congruens,-entis (part.B with dat. or cum with abl.);

- folium bilateraliter symmetrum, leaf bilaterally symmetrical;

- flores unisexuales, symmetrici (B&H), flowers unisexual, symmetrical.

- torus brevis v. elongatus, symmetricus v. asymmetricus (B&H), torus short or elongate, symmetric or asymmetric.

- radiatim (adv.) symmetrus; radiatim symmetricus: radially symmetric.

anisomerus,-a,-um (adj.A): anisomerous, “when the parts of a flower are unequal in number. The same as ‘unsymmetrical’” (Lindley).