A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Elater (Eng.noun), “spiral elastic threads, generated in tubes in certain Liverworts and Scale-mosses [i.e. leafy liverworts resembing mosses], and supposed to assist in the dispersion of spores” (Lindley); “1. An elastic spirally twisted filament, occurring amongst the spores in the thecae of Hepaticae; 2. A free capillitium thread in Myxogastres" (Jackson): elater,-eris (s.m.III), abl. sg. elatere, nom. & acc. pl. elateres, dat. & acc. pl. elateribus [> Gk.elatEr,-tEros (s.m.III) a driver (Jackson); a driver (esp. of horses); a rower, one that drives away” ((Liddell & Scott)]; see capillitium;

(in bryophytes): “a differentiated elongate cell, dead at maturity and normally with one to three helicoidal wall thickenings, found interspersed among the spore mass in most liverwort capsules; function: to break up and subsequently help disperse the spores” (Magill 1990); cf. pseudoelater.

(in fungi) “a free capillitium-thread, e.g. in Myxomycetes and Farysia; a body with spiral or annular markings in the gleba of Battarraea” (Ainsworth & Bisby);(in fungi)“(in Myxomycetes) a free capillitial thread, probably aiding in spore dispersal; (in Battarrea) a structure with spiral or annular markings in the gleba” (S&D).

(in Equisetum) in Equisetum, four clubbed hygroscopic bands attached to the spores, which serve for dispersal” (Jackson).

- elateres in omnibus fere dispiri rare monospiri vel 3-4-spiri decidui, perpauci heteromorphi interdum in capsulae fundo apiceve diutius persistentes, demum idem ac normales decidui, elaters in nearly all with two spiral fibers rarely with a single spiral or with 3 or 4 spirals deciduous, a few adnormal heteromorphic ones sometimes persisting longer at the base or the apex of capsule, at last deciduous the same as the normal ones (Stearn).

- elateres valde numerosi, tota facie capsulae interna primum insidentes, capsula dehiscente omnes decidui, angusti utroque fine tenuiores tortiles, elaters very numerous, the whole inner surface of the capsule at first occupying, with the capsule bursting all falling out, slender at each end narrower twisted.

- elateres nulli, elaters none.

- elateres vel monospiri vel fibram solam flexuosam (nec spiralem) continentes, elaters either with one spiral or containing a single flexuous (not spiral) fiber.

- elaterum fibra perfecte spiralis, of the elaters the fiber perfectly spiral (Stearn).

- elateres bispiri, spiris in medio confertim, versus apicem laxe tortis (Steph.), elaters two-spiralled, with the coils in the middle compactly, toward the apex loosely twisted.

- elateres flavi, medio duplo crassiores, fere stricti, spiram latissimam parum contortam, ut volvulos 5--7 solos facientem et fere in ipsis apicibus elateris distinctam, gerentes (Lindberg), elaters yellow, in the middle two times thicker, almost straight, bearing a very broad somewhat contorted spire, for example making only 5-7 revolutions and nearly distinct on the very apices of the elater.

Crinula,-ae (s.f.I): an elater (Jackson) [> L. dim. crinis,-is (s.m.III), hair].

Elateromyces = Farysia (Ainsworth & Bisby).