A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

perfect: perfectus,-a,-um (part.A), compar. perfectior,-ius (adj.B), superl. perfectissimus,-a,-um (adj.A) [> L. perficio,-feci,-fectum, 3, to achieve, execute, carry out, accomplish; finish, complete; to make perfect]; in Gk. = ‘eu-‘, see note below; see tel-, tele-, teleo-: in Gk. comp. ‘complete,’ ‘perfect;’ also teleut-, teleuto-: in Gk. comp. completion; perfection; opp. imperfect, q.v.;

1. (of the verb) perfect, made perfect, completed, completely done, finished, accomplished, concluded, carried out, complete (hence, strong); completely developed, not rudimentary; opp. imperfect, q.v.;

- in umbrosis virgulteis aliisque locis ejus perfectioni evolutioni magis faventibus (Mueller), in shady shrubby and other places more favorable to its more complete development.

- Vera biologia nititur perfecta anatomica cognitione organorum quorum opere vita peragitur. Hoc respectu plantae conveniunt cum animalibus. (DozyMoek), true biology rests upon complete anatomical knowledge or the organs by the work of which life is accomplished. In this respect, plants correspond with animals.

- in statu perfecto, in the perfect (complete) state, stage or phase, when the sexual spores of fungi are formed after nuclear fusion.

- stirps pulcherrima ad specimina perfectiora recognoscenda (B&H), a plant most beautiful should be recognized in accordance with more complete specimens.

- baccae septo etiam sub maturitate perfecto membraneo biloculatae (F. Mueller), the berries biloculate even at maturity with a septum with a complete membrane.

- e speciminibus magis perfectis, from more perfect specimens.

- a Logania fasiculata R. Br. pr. 456 (L. linifolia Schl. Linnaea xx., 605) recedit glabritie fere perfecta (F. Mueller), it departs from Logania fasciculata by the glabrous state almost complete.

- ab ambobus praeterea et ab omnibus Lasiopetalearum subordinis recedit perfecta sepalorum solutione (F. Mueller), moreover from both and from all of the Lasiopetaleae of the suborder it departs by the complete separation of the sepals.

- perfecta maturitate, in complete maturity.

2. “complete in all the usual parts” (Lindley); “applied to a flower which is hermaphrodite” (Jackson); (of the flower; of the plant-flowers) with both male and female reproductive organs (stamens and pistils), perfect (not reduced); bisexual, q.v., hermaphroditic, q.v., teleianthous, q.v.; “having both functional pistil and stamens” (Fernald); monoclinous, q.v.; with both stamens and carpels or pistils in the flower (Radford et al.): bisexualis,-e (adj.B); hermaphroditus,-a,-um (adj.A); perfectus,-a,-um (adj.A); teleianthus,-a,-um (adj.A); opp. imperfect, q.v., i.e. unisexual, diclinous; see sex (flower);

- pedunculi axillares, in cymas uni-bisexuales divisi (B&H), the peduncles axillary, divided into uni- or bisexual cymes.

- floribus perfectis, with the flowers perfect.

- stamina 4-5 omnia perfecta (F. Mueller), the stamens 4-5 all of them perfect.

NOTE: Radford et al. designate ‘perfect or bisexual’ for the individual flower, and ‘hermaphroditic or monoclinous’ for plants that have all their flowers perfect; see sex (plant); teleianthus,,-a,-um (adj.A) according to Jackson, is the same as ‘hermaphroditic or monoclinous.’

4. “of an organ which has all its constituent members” (Jackson).

5. (in mosses) the perfect Bryalian peristome has both endostome and exostome, basal membrane and cilia on the endostome;

- peristomium perfectum, peristome perfect, complete, with no rudimentary or reduced parts.

- calyptra peristomiumque perfectum desunt (Hooker), the calyptra and complete peristome absent.

- peristomium internum imperfectum (Mueller), the inner peristome incomplete.

- Calyptra perfecta ignota (Mueller), a perfect calyptra unknown.

- membrana interna dentibus rudimentariis, vel nullis et ciliis perfectis seu rudimentariis (Mueller), the inner membrane with rudimentary teeth or none and with complete cilia or rudimentary.

- (moss) dentes ciliis plus 5 minus perfectis plerumque irregulariter cohaerentibus (Mueller), the teeth with cilia more than 5, less perfect, usually irregularly closely connected.

- sed ciliis internis minus perfectis (Mueller), but with the inner cilia less complete.

- perist. dentes plus minus perfecti erecti breves (Mueller), the teeth of the peristome [peristomii] more or less complete, erect, short.

- operculum ac peristomium perfectum deerant (Mueller), the operculum and complete peristomum were absent.

NOTE: in Gk. ‘eu-‘ = ‘perfect;’

- (moss) Eucamptodon. Ab eu perfecte, kamptos incurvus et odous dens, ob dentes peristomii madefactos perfecte incurvos nomen ductum. (Mueller), the name derived from ‘eu’ perfect, kamptos, incurved and odous, tooth, because the teeth of the peristome when wetted are completely incurved

NOTE: “perfect state (stage or phase), the state of the life-cycle in which spores (such as asco- and basidiospores) are formed after nuclear fusion, or by parthenogenesis; the state producing gonotoconts” [i.e. the cell or organ in which meiosis occurs] (Ainsworth & Bisby). In the perfect state sexual spores (oospores, zygospores, ascospores, or basidiospores) are formed, generally after nuclear fusion; in the imperfect state asexual spores (such as conidia) or no spores are produced (Ainsworth & Bisby).

- in statu pertecto, in the perfect state.

- (fungi) in statu imperfecto, the imperfect state, stage or phase when asexual spores (such as conidia) or no spores are produced.