A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Serpentine (rock or stone), Engl. noun: a). Medieval Latin serpentina,-ae (s.f.I), serpentinum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. serpentino, from Late Latin fem. & neut of serpentinus (adj.A), resembling a snake (after WIII); b). serpentinus,-i (s.m.II), abl. sg. serpentino, Medieval Latin, “serpentine, a kind of stone that resembles a snake in color.”

Serpentine (rock): “=chrysotile; =antigorite; a rock composed of chrysotile and antigorite often in layers iwth or without other minerals having usu. a dull green color often with a spotted or mottled appearance or a red or brownish hue due to the presence of iron, occurring in masses ... in fibrous form (as chrysotile), resulting from the alteration of other magnesian minerals (as olivine, amphilbole, and pyroxene), and used as an ornamental stone” (WIII); ophiolite is an igneous rock consisting largely of serpentine.

NOTE: ophicalcite: crystalline limestone or marble spotted with greenish serpentine).

- ostentant fragmentulum serpentini aut viridis marmoris, they display a small fragment of serpentine or green marble.

- [moss] serpentino tractu utplurimum erigitur cum masculus tum femineus (Hedw.), it is raised up [i.e. arises] for the most part in the Serpentine region, not only the male, but also the female [sc. stem or truncus (s.m.II)].

Tephroseris serpentini, (note genitive sg.)of serpentine (gen. sg. implies a nominative or noun.

NOTE:

lapis,-idis (s.m.III) ophiolithicus (adj.A), abl. sg. lapide opiolithico.

lapis,-idis (s.m.III) serpentinus (adj.A), abl. sg. lapide serpentino: serpentine rock or stone;

ophiolithicus,-a,-um (adj.A): growing on ophiolite, or serpentine rock.

NOTE: serpentinicola,-ae (s.f.I), serpentinensis,-e (adj.B), both epithets referring to a dwelling on serpentine rock.