A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Valvule, = valvelet (Jackson); “valvulae: the bracts of Sedges” (Lindley); “1. a diminutive valve; 2. a flowering glume of grasses; 3. a bract in Cyperaceae” (Jackson): valvula,-ae (s.f.I), gen.sg. valvulae, dat. sg. valvulae, abl. sg. valvula, nom. pl. valvae, gen. pl. valvularum, dat.& abl. pl. valvulis; sometimes called a valve, q.v.

- valvula aristam terminalem simplicem emittens, valvule putting forth an awn terminal simple (Stearn).

- valvula inferior trinervis acuta mutica, lower valvule (lemma) 3-nerved acute but without an appendage.

- valvula superiora aut nulla aut minima aut ovario major, upper valvule (palea) lacking or very small or than the ovary larger.

- antherae a basi ad apicem valvula revoluta decidua dehiscentes, anthers from base to tip by a revolute deciduous valvule dehiscing.

- antherae valvulis sursum dehiscentes, anthers by valvules from below upwards dehiscing.

- valvulae medio longitudinaiiter disrumpentes partibus naviculari bus dehiscent (Swartz), the valvules breaking apart longitudinally in the middle, dehiscent with the parts boat-shaped.

- valvula inferior carinata, margine integra, carina (lente) serrata, basi suiperioreni includens (Swartz), the lower valvule carinate, entire on the margin, with the keel (lightly) serrate, at the base enclosoing the upper one [i.e. valvule].

- [Viola] valvulae capsulae elasticae post maturationem contractae semina ejicientes; semina horizontalia manifeste carunculata, plus minus ovoidea et nitida (DeCandolle), the elastic valvules of the capsule, contracted after maturation driving out [i.e.. ejecting] the seeds; the seeds horizontal, clearly carunculate; more or less ovoid and lustrous.

Lemma, “the palea or flowering glume of a grass” (Jackson), see ‘pale;’ “the lower of the two bracts enclosing the flower in the spikelet of grasses, formerly called the flowering glume” (Fernald 1950): lemma,-atis (s.n.III),q.v., abl. sg. lemmate. Note the palea,-ae (s.f.I) is “the tiny upper bract which with the lemma incloses the flower in Grasses” (Fernald 1950).

Lodicule, paired, rudimentary scales below the ovary of a grass flower representing the reduced perianth: lodicula,-ae (s.f.I); see lodicule.

NOTE: valvulae (pl.f.I), valvulae = “the bracts of Sedges” (Lindley); and perhaps other graminoids;

- [Aristidia] Glumae calycinae Valvulae subaequales, una quasî exterior, paullo inferior, subulata, mutica; altera similis, nitens, mutica, carinata, glumam corollinam includens (Swartz), the valvules [i.e. bracts] of the calycine glumes nearly equal, one nearly exterior, somewhat lower, subulate, muticous; the other similar, shining, muticous, keeled, enclosing the glume of the corolla.

- [Aristidia] glumae corollinae Valvula subulata, convoluta (Swartz), the valvule of the corolline glumes subulate, convolute.