A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Segment (Eng.noun), “one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is or may be divided: section, division” (WIII): “one of the parts of a leaf or other like organ that is cleft or divided” (Fernald 1950); segmentum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. segmento, nom.& abl. pl. segmenta, dat. & abl. pl. segmentis (also used of Diatoms); one of the divisions into which a plant organ may be cleft; a section or division of an organ [> L. segmentum,-i (s.n.II), “a piece cut off, a slice; a strip, zone, segment of the earth; (in pl.) strips of tinsel, brocade, etc., sewed around the bottom of a woman’s dress; trimmings, bands, flounces, purfles” (Lewis & Short) > L. seco,-cui,-ctum to cut, cut off or up]; see lacinia; see process; see division; see fringe;

NOTE: generally not applied to a structure compounded out of different parts, such as the leaflets of a compound leaf.

1. A slice, a piece or portion cut off, cutting, section:

- [Lichen proboscideus; in a caption (explicatio) of an illustration]:

segmentum perpendiculare per mascula genitalia (Hedwig), a perpendicular slice [i.e. section] through the male genitalia.

- [Octospora haemastigma; in a caption] segmentum huius utrinque perpendiculare (Hedwig), a perpendicular section of this from both sides.

- [Octospora violacea; fungi; in a caption] segmentum perpendiculare de thalamo cum suis thecis paraphysibusque (Hedwig) a perpendicular section away from the thalamus with its thecae and paraphyses. TO DO MORE HEDWIG

- [Octospora pyriformis; fungi] segmentum perpendiculare de patella; ad augmentum IV (Hedw.) a perpendicular section away from the patella; at magnification four.

- [Caption; table III; Sclerotium scutellatum; fungi] (a) magnitudine naturali; auctum (b) desuper (c) a latere cum stipite brevissimo (d) ad segmentum verticale delineatum (S&A); (a) at natural size; [drawn] enlarged (b) from above (c) from the side with a very short stipe (d) at a vertical section.

2. one of the divisions of the perianth, such as a sepal or petal;

- lobi segmentorum imorum divergentes obtusi (F. Muell.), the lobes of the lowest divisions divergent, obtuse.

- [Chlorophytum] florum segmenta lineari-lanceolata dilute viridula (F. Muell.), the segments of the flowers linear-lanceolate, pale greenish.

- [Limnanthemum] calycis segmentis angusto-lanceolatis capsulam aequantibus (F. Muell.) with the divisions of the calyx narrowly lanceolate, equalling the capsule.

- [Gardenia] calycis tubo superne oblongo-cylindraceo, limbi segmentis subulatis patentissimis, corolla hypocraterea extus pubescente calycem longe superante (F. Muell.), with the tube of the calyx above oblon-cylindric, with the divisions of the limb subulate, very wide-spreading, with the corolla hypocrateriform [i.e. widely expanded above], externally pubescent, far exceeding the calyx.

- Calyx quinque-partitus vix unciam longus glaber, segmentis angusto-lanceolatis cymbiformibus late carinatis (F. Muell), the calyx 5-parted, scarcely one inch long, glabrous, with the segments narrowly-lanceolate, cymbiform, broadly keeled.

- segmentis floris foemini interioribus obtuse lobatis (F. Muell.), with the inner segments of the female flower obtusely lobed.

- segmentis limbi calycini obtusiusculis, (F. Muell.), with the segments of the calycine limb somewhat obtuse.

- capsulae breviter pedicellatae 3-4” longae calycis segmentïs subaequalibus fere 11/2” longis coronatae (F. Muell.), the capsules shortly pedicallate, 3-4 inches long, crowned with the somewhat equal divisions of the calyx almost 1 1/2 inches long.

- calycis limbi segmentis inaequalibus acutis, corollae lobis indivisis (F. Muell.), with the divisions of the limb of the calyx unequal, acute, undivided by the lobes of the corolla.

3. one of the divisions of a variously cleft, parted, cut or divided leaf, the divisions not reaching to the base and not detached from the main body of the lamina, such as a division of a pinnati-sect, or variously deeply divided leaf: a pinna or pinnule might be a ‘segment;’ segment: “one of the parts of a leaf or other like organ that is cleft or divided” (Fernald 1950); “one of the divisions into which a plant organ, as a leaf, may be cleft” (Jackson); divisions of a structure divisus, fissus, partitus, sectus;

NOTE: the segments of a fern frond may be referred to as laciniae.

- [Gingidium] foliis rachi rachillisque articulatis, pinnis paucijugis sessilibus, segmentis confertis lanceolato-linearibus acutis (F.Muell.) with the leaves with a rachis and rachillae jointed, with the pinnae few-paired, sessile, with the segments crowded, lanceolate-linear, acute.

- [Glossogyne] foliis radicalibus confertis pinnatisectis, segmentis linearibus v. lanceolato-linearibus integerrimis incisis v. pinnatifidis, (F. Muell.), with the basal leaves crowded, pinnatisect, with the segments linear or lanceolate-linear, completely entire, incised or pinnatifid.

- arboreum, foliis digitato-dissectis glabris, segmentis angustolanceolatis (F. Muell.), tree-like, with the leaves digitate-dissected, hairless, with the segments narrowly lanceolate.

- segmenta foliorum herbacea, duo postica utriusque lateris saepe in unum inaequaliter bipartitum confluentia (F. Muell.), the divisions of the leaves herbaceous, the two postical ones and both the side ones often confluent into one, unequally bipartite [segment].

- pinnae in segmenta 3-5 secundaria 3-10” longa 1” lata divisae (F. Muell.), the pinnae divided into 3-5 secondary divisions 3-10 inches long, 1 inch wide.

- bracteolarum segmentis ovato-lanceolatis (F. Muell.) with the segments of the bracteoles ovate-lanceolate.

- [Dictyota linearis; brown alga] fronde augustissima lineari dichotoma, segmentis patentibus, ultimis sursum sublatioribus apice obtusissimo aut subfurcato, soris in lineis transversalibus parallelis (Agardh), with the frond very narrow, linear, dichotomous, with the segments spreading, upwardly the ultimate [i.e. most distant] ones somewhat wider, at the apex very obtuse or somewhat furcate [i.e. forked], with the sori in parallel transverse lines

- foliis trisectis segmentis subpetiolatis (Boissier), with the leaves thrice-cut, with the [three] segments subpetiolate.

- pinnis basalibus cum segmento singulari usque ad 11 cm longo, with the basal pinnae with one segment up to 11 cm long.

- segmentis ultimis dimorphis, bifidis vel simplicibus, with the ultimate segments dimorphic, bifid or simple.

- laciniae sex, quarum tres exteriores reflexae, tres interiores erectae, laciniae [i.e. segments] 6, of which the 3 outer reflexed, 3 inner erect (Stearn).

- folia pinnatisecta, segmentis lobatis glabris, impari majoribus (DeCandolle), the leaves pinnatisect [i.e. cleft nearly to the midrib], with the segments lobed, glabrous, larger than the unequal one.

- folia subplana, 1/4 - fere 1/2 fissa, incisura acuta, segmentis acutis, rarius obtusiusculis (Lindberg), the leaves nearly flat, divided 1/4 to almost 1/2, the incisions acute, with the segments acute, more rarely somewhat obtuse.

4. (algae) “a portion of a branch between successive nodes or lateral branches” (A&H).

5. “each portion of meristem with originates from a single Segment Cell” (Jackson).

Segment Cell: “the basal portion which is successively cut off from the apical cell in growth” (Jackson).

6. (in mosses) the toothlike divisions of the inner peristome [endostome] of a perfect or bryoid (i.e. diplolepideous) peristome, sometimes called processes; (mosses) the endostome segments are referred to as processes (C&A): processus,-us (s.m.IV) endostomialis, abl. sg. processu endostomiali, nom. & acc. pl. processus endostomiales; see process.

NOTE: also on the endostome of the diplolepideous peristome: cilium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. cilio, nom.& acc.pl. cilia: in [diplolepideous] peristomes the structures frequently found singly or in groups alternating with the segments of the inner peristome [endostome]” (Magill 1990).

NOTE: (bryophytes) laciniae = “segments, i.e. appendages coarser than cilia and more than one cell wide” (Magill 1990); cilia = (bryology) “delicate, hair-like or thread-like structure mostly one cell wide and unbranched (opposed to lacinia)” (Magill 1990); see cilium,-ii (s.n.II).