A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

amarus,-a,-um (adj.A): (of taste) harsh, disagreeable, bitter, pungent; compar. amarior, amarius (adj.B), superl. amarissimus,-a,-um (adj.A); syn. acerbus,-a,-um (adj.A), harsh to the taste, “of every object which has an astringent effect upon the tongue; opp.dulcis,-e (adj.B), q.v., ‘sweet;’ opp. lenis,-e (adj.B), mild, smooth; opp. suavis,-e (adj.B), q.v., sweet; opp. ‘mild:’ mitis,-e (adj.B), lenis,-e (adj.B) 'smooth, mild, gentle, easy, calm;' mollis,-e (adj.B) 'soft, pliant. gentle, mild; see bitter; see mild. - fructus amarissimus, fruit highly bitter.

NOTE: one of the generally four tastes (sapor): bitter (amarus), sour (acer), sweet (dulcis) and salty (salsus). - fructus amarissimus, fruit highly bitter.

amarulus,-a,-um (adj.A): somewhat bitter: Panicum amarulum, ‘somewhat bitter’ (Fernald 1950). - fructus amarissimus, fruit highly bitter.

- fructus amarissimus, fruit highly bitter.

- nux amara, the almond.

- amygdala sunt et suaves et amara et utraque viribus styptica. Magis tamen sunt in usu medicinae et aptiores amarae eo quod stringent magis (pseudoGalen in Everett), almond kernels are both sweet ones and bitter ones and both are styptic [i.e. astringent] in their properties. However the bitter ones are to a greater extent in the usage of medicine and are more suitable and, to that end, because it is more astringent [i.e. binding].

- arbuscula parva trunco fistuloso, cortice amarissimo (B&H), a small treelet, with a hollow trunk, with the bark very bitter.

- cortex viridis fuscus, odore nauseoso, sapore amarissimo, tactu glutinoso (Swartz), the bark green, blackish-brown, with a nauseous odor, with a tast most bitter, glutinous to the touch.

- ramuli fractura lacte acri amaro scatent (F. Mueller), the branchlets with breaking are full of an acrid, bitter milky sap.

- ínter cutem externam Leguminis, membranamque internam semina sparantem, liquor, syrupi consistentia & colore, continetur, graveolens, amarus, adstringens (Swartz), between the external skin of the legume, and the inner membrane separating the seeds, is contained a liquor, the consistency and color of syrup, strong-smelling, bitter, astringent.

- bacca e viridi flavescens, pulpa amarissima mucilaginosa repleta. (F. Mueller), from green to yellowish, filled with a most bitter mucilaginous pulp.

- arbusculae cinereo-pubescentes, non amarae (B&H), small trees ashy-pubescent, not bitter.

- [fungus] sapor vehemens, felleus, omnium forsan amarissimus (S&A), the taste is powerful, like bitter-gall, perhaps the bitterest of all.

- amarus sapor dulci ex adverso appositus, insuavis ac tristis; sensum ipsum veluti corradit aut divellit. Eo insignis est Aloe, deinde absinthium, centaurium minus & colocynthis (Ray), ‘amarus’ [= bitter] is a taste placed in opposition to ‘sweet,’ being unpleasant and harsh; as if it irritates or tears apart the very sense [of taste] itself. Aloe is conspicuous for it, then absinthium, less centaurium and colocynthis.

- Cichoreum [also spelled Cichorium] plerisque Botanicis frigidum censetur; verum sapor amarus caliditatem arguit (Ray), by most botanists is considered to be cooling; but the bitter taste declares its warmth.

- foliorum sapor valde amarus, velut Cardui benedicti (Ray), the taste of the leaves is strongly bitter, just as Carduus benedictus.

- succus ejus acris est, mordicans & amarus (Ray), its juice is sour, biting and bitter.

Panicum amarum, ‘bitter;’ Prunus dulcis var. amara.