A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

marcescens,-entis (part.B): marcescent; same as marcidus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v.: marcescent, withering but not falling off, hence dry and persistent (i.e. not deciduous, not falling off), as the mature petals in some Hypericum spp.; used of trees whose leaves wither in the fall or winter, but which do not drop to the ground until new growth in the following spring; not quite withering, beginning to wither; “not falling off until the part which bears it is perfected, but withering long before that time, as the flowers of Orobanche” (Lindley); (fungi) “(of carpophores) withering; drying up ‘in situ;’ imputrescible” (S&D) [> L. marcesco,-ere 3, to wither, droop, decay; to become weak, to waste away, languish; marcescit, 3d pers. sg. act. indic. present, ‘it withers’]; opp. recens,-entis (part.B), q.v., ‘fresh;’ opp. deciduus,-a,-um (adj.A), deciduous;

- fructus maturitate calyce marcescenti muniti, fruits when mature protected by the marcescent calyx.

- calyx postquam patens tum cito marcescens, calyx after spreading then quickly withering.

- capsula oblonga, corolla marcescente inclusa (B&H), capsule oblong, enclosed in the marcescent corolla.

- petala saepe marcescenti-persistentia (B&H), petals often marcescently persistent [i.e. dry-persistent].

- (fungus) recens albus, rectus plerumque exsiccatus pallet et marcescit (S&Z), when fresh, white, usually straight, when dry it grows pale and is dry-persistent.

- (fungus) capitulum subturbinatum, vigente fungo pellucens, in vetusto opacum marcescit ac delabitur (S&Z), the capitulum is nearly turbinate [i.e. top-shaped], pellucent when the fungus is fresh, in old age it withers to opaque and falls down.

- petala 8, marcescentia, perigyna (B&H), the petals 8, marcescent [i.e. withered and not deciduous], perigynous.

- sepala oblongo-lanceolata persistenti-marcescentia (DeCandolle), the sepals oblong-lanceolate, persistent-marcescent.

- calyx petaloideus irregularis deciduus vel marcescens (DeCandolle), the calyx petaloid, irregular, deciduous or marcescent [i.e. withered and persistent].

- flores majusculi, venosi, albi, persistentes, marcescentes (Swartz), the flowers somewhat large, full of veins, white, persisting, withering [and persisting].

- Laciniae 3 exteriores lanceolatae, persistentes; 3 interiores glabrae, luteae, extus viridescentes, marcesccentes (Swartz), the laciniae 3, the outer lanceolate, persisting, the inner 3, glabrous, yellow, outside greenish, marcescent [i.e. dry and not deciduous].

NOTE: emarcescens,-entis (part.B) means ‘withered’ but not ‘withered and persisting.’

Arenaria marcescens Fernald, marcescent, retaining old dry leaves.