A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

cernuus,-a,-um (adj.A) (cernuus, cernua, cernuum): prone, bent forward, curved with the face down, like a penitent; “nodding” (Fernald 1950); “inclining a little from the perpendicular; generally applied to drooping flowers” (Lindley); “inclining very much from the perpendicular, so that the apex is directed downwards; as the flower of the Snowdrop” (Lindley); slightly drooping, cernuous, nodding, with the face down-turned; cf. nutans,-antis (part.B); “(of a plant) inclining or nodding, pendulous, drooping ‘with the face turned toward the earth” (WIII) [> L. cernuus,-a,-um (adj.A) “with the face turned towards the earth, inclined forwards, stooping or bowing forwards” (Lewis & Short)]; see inclined, nodding, pendent; pendulous;

“drooping; inclining downwards, cernuous, but not quite pendent” (Jackson).

“Stooping, (cernuus), when the poin t[i.e. apex] in an upright stem takes a horizontal direction.” (Willdenow).

“Nodding, (nutans), when the point is bent down towards the horizon.

Pendulous, (pendulus), when a [parasiticall plant has its base turned towards the zenith, and its top towards the earth” (Willdenow)

“cernuus dicitur proprie inclinatus, quasi quod terram cernit, ‘cernuous’ is properly called ‘inclined’, as though something was looking at the ground.”

[in mosses] of the capsule with regard to the seta: bent down from the perpendicular at an angle between horizontal and downwardly vertical; between 90 and 180, e.g. between 120 and 160, degrees; at a lesser angle than pendulous or pendent.

- [Hypnum myosuroides brevius & crassius, capsulis cernuis. The lesser thick Mouse-tail Hypnum, with stooping Heads (Dill.).

- Hae sunt praecipuae thecarum formae, et si aliae dantur, quas Botanici nominibus compositis designant, vt oblongoovata, oblongo-vrceolata, irregulari-pyriformis., nutans cernua etc. has explicare nullatenus opus est, cum ex ipsà nominis compositione, satis cognoscendae veniant (Brid.); these are the principal shapes of the thecae, and if others are given, which Botanists designate in compound names, such as oblong-ovate, oblong-urceolate, irregular-pyriform, nodding, drooping etc., there is not any need to explain them, when they would come adequately into understanding from the composition of the name itself.

- theca solitaria ovalis cernua horizontalis (Mueller), theca solitary, oval, cernous, horizontal.

- theca inclinata obovalis subcernua pallida substrumosa (Mueller), with the theca inclined [i.e. leaning] oboval, somewhat nodding [i.e. inclined from the perpendicular], pale, somewhat strumose.

- (moss) theca (pro plantulae exiguitate) longipedunculata ovalis cernua inclinata brevis vix strumosa exacte terminalis (Mueller), the theca (for the minuteness of the plant) long-pedunculate [i.e. with a long seta], oval, cernuous [i.e. slightly nodding with the face downturned] inclinate [i.e. tilted], short, scarcely strumose, strictly terminal.

- flores cernui (B&H), flowers nodding.

- floribus cernuis, pistillis nutantibus (DeCandolle), with the flowers cernous [i.e. slightly nodding], with the pistils nutant [i.e. drooping].

- pedunculis ante anthesin cernuis, per anthesin erectis, post anthesin retroflexis (DeCandolle), with the peduncles before anthesis cernuous, throughout anthesis erect, after anthesis flexed backwards.

- pedicelli basi lateraliter bracteati, ante anthesin cernui, per anthesin erecti, post anthesin recurvi reflexi (DeCandolle), pedicels at the base laterally bracteate, prior to the time of flowering cernuus, throughout flowering erect, after anthesic recurved, reflexed.

- floribus secundis cernuis (DeCandolle), with the flowers secund [i.e. directed to one side only], cernuous.

- floribus laxe paniculatis cernuis 4-sepalis (DeCandolle), with the flowers loosely [i.e. openly] paniculate, drooping, with 4 sepals.

- flores longe pedunculati, ampli, aurei, alabastris cernuis (B&H), the flowers long pedunculate, big, golden-colored, with the buds cernuous.

- racemi terminales, multiflori, cernui (B&H), racemes terminal, many-flowered, drooping.

- pedicelli basi minute bracteati, infra medium articulati et 2-bracteolati, junioribus cernuis apice incrassatis (B&H), pedicels at the base minutely bracteate, articulated below the middle and 2-bracteolate, the younger nodding, thickened at the apex.

- [Aconitum cernuum] caule flexuoso, panicula laxe multiflora nutante (DeCandolle), [the drooping Aconitum] the stem flexuose, the panicle loosely manyflowered, nodding.

- flores subcernui inodori violaceo-lilacini (DeCandolle), the flowers somewhat drooping, lacking an odor, violet-lilac [colored].

- theca inclinata obovalis subcernua pallida substrumosa (Mueller), the theca inclined, oboval, somewhat nodding, pale, somewhat strumose.

Ptychostomum cernuum Hornsch, for the capsules that 'nod' because they curve downwardly; Phascum cernuum [=Pyxidium pendulum].