A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

tri-: in both L. and Gk. comp., “three” [tri- in Gk. comp., derives from Gk. treis; tri- in Lat. comp. derives from tres, or from ter-]; see ter (adv.), ter- (in L. comp.), ‘three times, thrice;’ cf. trich-, tricho-, in Gk comp. ‘three, threefold;’ cf. tris-, in Gk. comp. ‘thrice, three times;’

Note: Triodia,-ae (s.f.I, a genus of grasses, from Gk. tri- + odous, tooth, in reference to the lemmas which have three teeth, the ‘tri’ derives from Gk. treis; the equivalent in Latin (Tridens), the ‘tri’ derives from tres.

              Greek [tri-]                 Latin [tri-] (after Stearn 1983) 
 -stamened: triandrus,                   tristamineus 
 -anthered: triantherus                  triantherus 
 -angled    trigonus                     triangulatus 
 -flowered  trianthus                    triflorus 
 -headed    tricepalus                   triceps,-cipitis 
 -leaved    triphyllus                   trifolius 
 -lobed     trilobus, trilobatus         trilobus,trilobatus 
 -petaled   tripetalus                   tripetalus  
 -rowed     tristichus                   triseriatus 
 -veined    triphlebius                  trivenis, trivenius

Trianthema,-ae (s.n.III) L. > Gk. treis, three + Gk. anthemon, flower.

Triglochin “Name composed of the Greek treis, three, and glochis, point, from the three points of the ripe fruit [in T. palustris] when dehiscent” (Fernald 1950); Triphora,-ae (s.f.I) “Name from the Greek treis, three and phoros, bearing, from the frequently three flowers” (Fernald 1950).

Lat. comp. - triangulus, triangulatus, with 3 angles; tribracteatus, 3-bracted; triceps, gen. sg. tricipitis; tricolor,-coloris, 3-colored; triflorus, 3-flowered; trifolius, with three leaves; trinervis,-e, trinervius,-a,-um, 3-nerved; triseriatus, with three rows; trivenius, 3-nerved.

Trisetum,-i (s.n.II), “Name from tres, three, and seta, a bristle, from the awned and 2-toothed lemma” (Fernald 1950).

both Gk. & Lat.: triantherus, with three anthers; trilobus, with three lobes; tripetalus, with three petals; tripolaris,-e, with three poles; trisepalus, with three sepals; triseriatus, with three rows; tristylus, with three styles; tritepalus, with three tepals.

tribracteatus, with 3 bracts; tricoccus, with 3 cocci, i.e. breaking into 3 one-seeded parts; tricornis, 3-horned; tricuspis, tricuspidatus, with 3 cusps; *tricussatus, with whorls of 3 leaves, each alternating with or intersecting leaves at the nodes above and below; *tricyclicus, tricyclic, with three whorls;

tridentatus, q.v., 3-toothed; tridigitatus, divided into 3 finger-like lobes or divisions; triflorus, 3-flowered.

trifoliatus, with three leaves; trifoliolatus, with three leaflets; trifurcus, trifurcatus, with 3 forks or branches;

*trigamus, with three kinds of flowers, as staminate, pistillate and also perfect flowers; triglans, with 3 nuts in an involucre; trigynus, with 3 carpels or styles; trilobatus, trilobus, 3-lobed; trilocularis, 3-chambered (loculed);

trimerus, with parts in threes; triovulatus, with 3 ovules.

tripaleolatus,-a,-um (adj.A): “consisting of three paleae, as the flower of a Bamboo” (Lindley); see lodicule.

tripartitus, 3-parted, “parted to the base in three divisions” (Lindley); trisepalus, 3-sepalled; tripterus, 3-winged, with 3 winglike appendages; trispermus, 3-seeded; tristylus, 3-styled;

trisulcatus, 3-furrowed; trivittatus, 3-banded; triuncialis, 3 inches long; see three-.

- trifidus, 3-cleft; tripartitus, divided into three parts (see partitus); trisectus, 3-cleft to the base.

- trijugus, with 3 pairs of pinnae; 3-jugus, 3-jugatus or trijugatus, terjugatus, terjugus, trijugus, three-paired; “when the petiole of a pinnated leaf bears three pairs of leaflets” (Lindley).

- triformis,-e; trimorphus,-a,-um: “existing in 3 forms, e.g. with short, intermediate and long stamens or with 3 types of florets or fruits” (Stearn 1983).

- trigeminatus, trigeminate, trigeminous, with three pairs of leaflets.

- trijugatus, with three pairs; compound with three orders of leaflets, each order bifoliolate.

- tripalmatus, palmately compound three times; tripinnatus, 3 times pinnate, with pinnate pinnules;

- triternatus, 3 times ternate, thrice in threes; triternate, “when a common petiole divides into three secondary petioles, which are each subdivided into three tertiary petioles, each bearing three leaflets” (Lindley).

Triodia,-ae (s.f.I, a genus of grasses, from Gk. tri- + odous, tooth, in reference to the lemmas which have three teeth = Tridens (Latin).

Tridontium; Trigonodictyon; Trigonomitria; Trigonosolen; Trilites;

Trimatium; Triodontium; Triplagia; Tripterocladium; Triquetra; Tristichella, Tristichium.

Note: Tripsacum, Gama-Grass, is “said to come from the Greek tribein, to rub, perhaps in allusion to the polished spike” (Fernald 1950).