A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

zigzag, bent alternately in opposite directions; (in bryophytes) “alternate from side to side; a line with numerous reversing angles, e.g., median line on diplolepidous exostome tooth of, Sematophyllum” (Magill 1990): valde (adv.) flexuosus,-a,-um (adj. A), q.v., fractiflexus,-a,-um (part.A), anfractuoso-flexuosus,-a,-um (adj.A); flexicaulis,-e (adj.B), with a zig-zag stem; gyrosus,-a,-um (adj.A): ‘curved backwards and forwards in turn, spiral;’ flexuosus,-a,-um (adj.A) ‘slightly and irregularly flexuous, zigzag, bent alternately in opposite directions; intestiniformis,-e (adj.B), intestine-like (applied to lax hairs bent irregularly backwards and forwards and slightly constricted at intervals) (Stearn); meandriformis,-e (adj.B), ‘meandriform,’ meandrinus,-a,-um (adj.A), “(obsol.) having a bending or meandering direction; as the cells of the anther of Curcurbita” (Lindley); serpentinus,-a,-um (adj.A), snake-like, i.e. bent backwards and forwards into a wavy line; sigmoideus,-a,-um (adj.A), sigmoid, i.e. curved like the letter S, ‘ess’; cf. anfractuosus,-a,-um (part.A): ‘sinuous, spirally twisted’ (this meaning rare); see sinuosus,-a,-um (adj.A), ‘full of curves, sinuses;’ undipes,-pedis (adj.B) ‘wavy-stalked;’ cf. ophio-: in Gk. comp., pertaining to snakes, snake-like, i.e. bent backwards and forwards into a wavy line;

- racemo fractiflexo, with a zigzag raceme.

- caules anfractuoso-flexuosi, the stems zigzag.

Scobina,-ae (s.f.I), q.v.: a rasp; “(obsol.) the zigzag rachis of the spikelets of Grasses” (Lindley).

Solidago flexicaulis L. for the zigzag stems bent at the nodes.