A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Semen,-inis (s.n.III), acc. sg. semen, dat. sg. semini, abl. sg. semine, nom. & acc. pl. semina, gen.pl. seminum, dat.& abl. pl. seminibus; 'seed,’ of plants, men, animals; “the seed of flowering plants” (Lindley); syn. Gk.: sperma,-atis (s.n.III), q.v.; the ‘semina’ of a moss are its spores (see note below); see seed; see spore;

NOTE: ‘semen’ was used interchangeably with ‘seminulum’ by Hedwig in reference to the moss spore [see seminulum,-i (s.n.II)];

e.g. [moss] semina luteo viridia, ab accessu aeris siccescentia, brevi fuscum colorem contrahunt (Hedw.), the seeds [i.e. spores] yellow-green, drying out with access to the air, short, they occasion a blackish-brown color.

- capsula 2-4 seminibus, [or,] capsula semina 2-4 habens, ‘capsule with,’ or ‘having 2-4 seeds.’

- semine cum gemino rostro (Tourn.), with a seed with a twin [i.e. paired] beak.

- capsula semine foeta non raro reniformi (Tourn.), the capsule is filled with [i.e. pregnant with] a seed that is not rarely reniform [i.e. kidney-shaped].

- RHABARBARUM est plantae genus, flore monopetalo, ex cujus fundo pistillum surgit, quod deindè crassèscit, semine foetum triangulari (Tourn.), rhabarbarum is a kind of plant with a monopetalous [i.e. with petals joined by their edges] flower: the pistil stands up from its base, which then grows thick, filled with a triangular seed.

- delectus (-us s.m.IV) seminum, seed-list, 'selection of seeds' (usually of botanic gardens).

- fructus semen unum tantum efferens, fruit only one seed producing.

- semen globosum, testa nigra fragili, cotyledonibus margine tantum coalitis, embryone minuto, seed globose, with seedcoat black fragile, with cotyledons at the margine along joined together, with embryo minute.

- semina tota pilis longis hygrometricis vestita, seeds entirely in long water-absorbing hairs clothed.

- semina compressa dorso convexa, tuberculis seriatis scabra, facie concava laevia, seeds compressed on the back convex, rough with tubercules in rows, on the front concave smooth.

- semina brunnea fee tota pilis madefactis elastice erigentibus vestita, seeds brown almost entirely with hairs when made wet elastically raising themselves clothed.

- semina parva uniserialia aut biserialia globosa aut pyriformia exalata, funiculo circa hilum in arillum album cristatum expanso, seeds small in 1 series or in 2 series globose or pear-shaped wingless, with the funicle around the hilum into a white crested aril expanded.

- semina oblique ovata, pleraque latere altero convexa, altero acutata, sed saepius mutua pressione multangulata, seeds obliquely ovate, for the most part with one side convex, the other acutate, but very often on account of mutual pressure, many-angled (Stearn).

- corpore seminis tetrahedrico, with the body of the seed tetrahedral.

- arillo dimidiam tantum seminis partem obtegente, with the aril covering over only one half part of the seed.

- semen globulare vel ellipsoideum, arillodio vel sarcotesta carens, testa ossea, hilo lineari, see globular or ellipsoid, lacking an arillode or sarcotesta, with the testa bony, with the hilum linear.

- in paucis speciebus semen delapsum nudum est v. subnudum, in a few species the fallen seed is naked or somewhat naked.

- semina magna edulia dicuntur (B&H), seeds large said (to be) edible.

- drupa pisi semine minor (F. Mueller), the drupe smaller than the seed of a pea.

Corona seminis [gen.sg. semen, ‘seed’) = pappus [‘crown of the seed’].

Medula seminis (gen.sg. semen), “(obsol.) the albumen of seeds” (Lindley).

Semen corniculatum (adj.A), abl. sg. semine corniculato: “the receptacle of certain Fungals” (Lindley).

Seminulum,-i (s.n.II), q.v., abl.sg. seminulo: (in fungi) obsol. A spore [> L. dim. of semen,-inis (s.n.III)].

Valvae (pl.f.I) seminum (neuter gen pl. ‘semen,-inis (s.n.III)’): ‘valves of the seeds’ “(obsol.) the cotyledons” (Lindley).

NOTE: the bryologist Carl Mueller appears to have used ‘semen’ and ‘spora’ interchangeably for mosses, as though there were no difference between the two, i.e. ‘seed’ and ‘spore’ appear to have been undifferentiated (unless perhaps by size) and both were the product of the theca, that is, the sporophyte, but not brood bodies or other bryophyte diaspores; see spore;

- [moss] semina parva laevia (C. Mueller), seeds [i.e. spores] small, smooth.

- [moss] semina minima laevia (C. Mueller), seeds (i.e. spores] very small, smooth.

- [Phascum; moss] theca globosa sessili apice mamillala tenui coronata (rubra), seminibus sphaericis asperulis mediocriter magnis (C. Mueller), the theca globose crowned with a thin, sessile mamillate apex (red), with the seeds sphaeric, somewhat roughened, medium-large.

- theca elliptica sporis fcrrugineis et calyptra firma breviori (C. Muell.), the theca elliptic, with the spores rust-colored and with a firm calyptra shorter [i.e. than the theca].

- sporae minutae olivaceae(C. Muell.), spores minute, colored like olives.

NOTE: abbrev. sem.;

- SEM. numerosa, angulata, nidulantia (Swartz), seeds numerous, angled, nestling [embedded].

- SEM. nonnulla, ovata, angulata, arillo subbaccato tecta (Swartz), the seeds several, ovate, angled, covered with a nearly berry-like [i.e. pulpy] aril.