A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Orifice, the mouth or opening of something, aperture, hole, vent; in mosses, the mouth of a capsule; an opening from which spores are released from a structure such as a capsule: orificium,-ii (s.n.II), abl.sg. orificio; cf. opening, mouth; cf. os, gen.sg. oris (s.n.III), acc. sg. os, abl.sg. ore, nom.& acc. pl. ora: mouth, opening;

- margo orificii dentata, the margin of the orifice toothed.

- pollinis granula sphaerica orificiis tribus protrusis aperta (F. Mueller), the grains of pollen opened by three protruded orifices.

- capsula depresso-globosa laevi ad orificium repando-triloba. (F. Mueller), capsule depressed-globose, smooth, sinuose-trilobed at the orifice.

- productum, orificio tubi innatum. laceratum (Necker), the spur adherent to the orifice of the tube, lacerate [Nerium].

- faux, glandulosa: plicis orificium claudentibus (Necker), the throat glandulose, with folds enclosing the orifice.

- (moss) theca asymmetrica arcuata, orificio obliquo minimo (Mueller), the theca asymmetric, arched with the orifice [i.e. mouth] slanting, very small.

- (moss) theca brevis subgloboso-pyriformis orificio lato (Mueller), theca short, nearly globose to pear-shaped, with a wide orifice.

- (moss) peristomium infra thecae orificium ortum (Mueller), the peristome arisen below the mouth of the theca.

- (moss) peristomii dentes lutescentes siccittate infra thecae orificium incurvi (Mueller), teeth of the peristome lutescent [i.e. yellowish] upon drying incurved below the mouth of the theca.

Orificium,-ii (s.n.II): “the ostiolum of certain Fungals” (Lindley).

NOTE: Gk. stoma,-atos (s.n.III), the mouth, in Latin, os, gen.sg. oris (s.n.III); also, the mouth of a river, Latin ostia,-ae (s.f.I), an opening; an outlet or entrance]; often used for the mouth of a moss capsule (theca).

NOTE: some bryologists, such as Hooker, use os, gen.sg. oris, q.v., for the orifice of the moss capsule;

- capsula ore transverso (Hooker), capsule with the mouth cross-wise.