A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Trunk, bole, the main stem or trunk of a tree or any body with a central axis, such as the pinnate thallus of a liverwort; in lichens, the thallus: truncus,-i (s.m.II), abl.sg. trunco, nom. pl. trunci, acc. pl. truncos, dat. & abl. pl. truncis; the word caudex,-icis (s.m.III), which in L. means trunk of a tree, is mostly used for rootstock, also used for the trunks of palms; stipe, a stalk; the unbranched, trunklike base of a dendroid or frondose plant, as in the genus Musa (the banana; Musaceae); stipes,-itis (s.m.III), acc. sg. stipitem, abl.sg. stipite, nom. & acc. pl. stipites, gen. pl. stipitum, dat. & abl.pl. stipitibus, lit. 'log, stock, trunk;' stirps, gen. sg. stirpis (s.f.III) ‘literally, the lower part of the trunk of plants, including the roots’ (Lewis & Short); styp-, stypo-, in Gk. comp. stem, stalk [> Gk. stypos,-eOs (s.n.III), ‘stem, stump, block’ (Liddell & Scott); corm-, cormo-, in Gk. comp. trunk, stem [> Gk. kormos (s.m.II), the trunk of a tree (with the boughs lopped off) (Liddell & Scott)]; see axis;

The trunk or snout of an elephant: see proboscis,-idis (s.f.III).

NOTE: the ‘trunk’ in the early literature of cryptogams, such as of mosses and liverworts, may be rendered ‘stem’ or ‘shoot.’

- (moss) FLOS masculus in summitate trunci disciformis (Hedw.), the male fower at the summit of the trunk [i.e. the lower, unbranched portion of the stem] disc-shaped.

- habitat in truncis putridis terraque humida ubique, it grows on rotten trunks and moist soil everywhere.

- ad truncos ramosque dejectos cortice exfoliato, on fallen trunks and branches with the bark exfoliated.

- caudex elatus mediocris v. humilis, trunk tall, medium or low.

- truncus nanus, dwarf bole or trunk.

- pinnae trunco multoties angustiores, ambitu late triangulares (Steph.), the pinnae manytimes narrower than the pinnae, in outline broadly triangular.

- ad truncos arborum sylvarum primaevarum ad Rio Itajahi (Mitten), on the trunks of youthful forest trees.

- latitudo trunci tripedalis, the length of the trunk three feet.

- (mosses) in Phasco, Tortula plurimisque generibus monoicis, flos foemineus trunci cacumen tenet (Bridel), in Phascum, Tortula, and very many monoicous genera, the femals flower occupied the summit of the trunk [i.e. main axis].

- Truncus constans corporibus duobus, ligneo nempe et corticali, juxta leges inversas crescentibus; Corpus ligneum exhibens in centro medullam e qua productiones medullares radiantes trans strata lignea annua,alia (lignum) interiora seniora duriora, alia (alburnum ) exteriora juniora molliora albida. Cortex constans complexu celluloso sub epidermide sito , et stratis corticalibus, aliis exterioribus senioribus, aliis interioribus junioribus nomine Libri insignitis (DeCandolle), the trunk consists of two bodies, namely the ligneous and the cortical, growing according to inverse laws; the corpus ligneus displaying in the center a medulla from which medullary productions are radiating across the woody annual layers, the inner ones (the wood), older, harder, the other (alburnum) younger, softer, whitish. The cortex consists of a cellulose [tissue complex] situated under the epidermis, and with the cortical layers, those that are exterior are older, those interior younger, designated by the name Librum.

- [fungus] Octospora bulbosa; trunco e bulbosa basi gracili, elongato; patella rotundata, exterius albo punctata, cavitate pulla, terminato (Hedwig), with a slender trunk [i.e. thallus] from a bulbose base; terminated with a rounded patella [apothecium], the exterior dotted with white, with a blackish-gray cavity [i.e. perithecium].

Note: the word 'trunk' also applies to the part of the petal of a flower in the genus Drymaria (Caryophyllaceae) and refers to the blade-like portion below the lobes and above the claw.

Caudex,-icis (s.m.III), abl. sg. caudice: the stem or trunk of a tree; the main axis including both stem and root of a plant; the stem of a palm or tree fern, covered with persistent leaf bases or marked with their scars;= classically 'the trunk of a tree, the stock, stem; although used less of trees except palms and tree ferns and perennial herbs; see caudex,-icis (s.m.III).

Stipe, a stalk; “the trunk of the Ferns” (Lindley); stipes,-itis (s.m.III), abl.sg. stipite.

little trunk, trunklet, as in tree ferns of the genus Cyathea, trunculus,-i (s.m.II), abl.sg. trunculo.

like a trunk: trunciformis,-e (adj.B).

growing on trunks: truncicola,-ae (s.c.I), abl. sg. truncicola.