A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Capsule: capsula,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. capsula, nom. acc. pl. capsulae, acc. pl. capsulas, dat. & abl. pl. capsulis, lit. 'a small box or chest;' in mosses, the spore case, often differentiated into an upper spore-bearing urn and a sterile basal neck (which may be sharply differentiated as a broad apophysis, or hypophysis; see pyxis,-idis (s.f.III); pod; theca; see apophysis, urn.

Capsule (Eng.noun), “any dry dehiscent seed-vessel” (see note) (Lindley); “1. a dry, dehiscent seed-vessel; 2. the theca of Mosses; 3. (obsol.) the perithecium or receptacle of Fungi” (Jackson); (in mosses) the spore case, often differentiated into an upper spore-bearing urn and a sterile basal neck (which may be sharply differentiated as a broad apophysis, or hypophysis; (in bryophytes) “the sporangium, q.v.; terminal spore-producing part of the sporophyte; in most mosses it is differentiated into an apical operculum, q.v., central urn, q.v. [= theca, q.v., (spore-bearing region) and a sterile basal neck, q.v. (= apophysis, q.v., = hypopysis, q.v.); in most liverworts and hornworts it is a uniform structure containing spores and elaters or pseudoeleaters” (Magill 1990) [> L. capsula,-ae (s.f.I), a small box or chest; dim. capsa,-ae (s.f.I), a box or repository]; see pyxis,-idis (s.f.III); see pyxidium,-ii (s.n.II), a circumscissile capsule; sometimes referred to as a ‘pod,’ q.v.;

- [fungi] agaricos putres varios incolit, perfectior sub dio; sed domi etiam fungos in capsulis stanneis aliquamdiu asservatos nonnumquam infestans (S&A); it lives on different rotted Agarics [i.e. tree fungi, or mushrooms of the genus Agaricus], the more perfect [i.e. complete] in the open air; but also in the home, the fungi, protected for a while, sometimes attacking tin boxes.

- in capsulis stanneis nostris ad fungos putridos abunde pronatum vidimus medio Septembri (S&A), we have seen it inclined to grow abundantly in our tin boxes [perhaps the vasculum, or collecting tin] on decayed fungi in the middle of September.

- capsula calyce persistente, paulo longior vel paulo brevior vel calycem aequans cylindracea membranacea apice in dentes 6 breves et stellatim patentes mox reflexos et revolutos dehiscens, capsule by a little longer or by a little shorter than the persistent calyx or equalling the calyx, cylindric membranous dehiscing at the tip into 6 short and stellately spreading teeth soon reflexed and revolute (Stearn). stearn? all?

- capsulae glabrae pars seminifera globosa 1 cm. alta, rostrum 2 cm. longum, of the glabrous capsule the seed-bearing part globose 1 cm. high, the beak 2 cm. long.

- capsula fusiformis 4-seminalis, retinaculis parvis acutis, capsule fusiform 4-seeded with retinacula small acute.

- capsula ima basi circumcirca rumpens, capsule at the very base all around breaking, i.e. circumscissile.

- capsula clavata fere ad medium solida, capsule club-shaped solid almost to the middle.

- capsula 3-5-locularis, valvis obtusis aut ad basin aut prope apicem sitis dehiscens, capsule 3-5-locular, dehiscing by blunt valves placed either at base or near the tip.

- capsulae tortulosae (id est circum semina dilatatae inter semina constrictae) uniloculares bivalves, valvis oblongis a basi ad apicem dehiscentes, capsules tortulose (i.e. around the seeds swollen, between the seeds constricted) one-chambered two-valved, with valves oblong from base to tip dehiscing.

- capsula erecta ovato-cylindrica, vaginula vix longior, sub ore tantillum constricta, foliis perichaetii immersa absconditaque, capsule erect ovate-cylindroc scarcely longer than the vaginule, below the mouth just a little constricted, by the leaves of the perichaetium covered and concealed (Stearn).

- capsula bivalvis vel rima longitudinali dehiscens, capsule bivalved or dehiscent by a longitudinal slit. [me]

- capsula semina 2-4 capiens, capsule containing 2-4 seeds

- foliis rotundatis cochleariformibus atque capsula disrumpente sectionem propriam (Schizophascum) sistens, by the rounded cochleariform leaves and also the capsule breaking away it supports its own section (Schizophascum) [me].

- valvae capsularum 7-9(10)-plo longiores quam latae, the valves of the capsules 7-9(10) times longer than wide.

- (moss) capsula anguste 8-striata sicca, vacua campanulata (Austin) with the dry capsule narrowly 8-striate, the empty [capsule] campanulate.

- [Sphaeria; fungi] sphaerulae centrales arcte congestae, marginales sparsae: adolescentes gelatina fluxili turgent quae dein capsulae etiamnum inclusa in massam albam farinaceo-viscidam maturescens abit (S&A), the central sphaerules tightly congested, the marginal ones scatteres: the adolescent [specimens] swollen with a gelatinous fluid, which then, still included in the capsule, when maturing transforms into a white, farinaceous-viscid mass.

- [Sphaeria; fungi] globulus plerumque admodum regularis postquam demum decidit, capsula hemisphaerica poro, hemi-ellipsoidea rimula recta perforata distincte cernitur; scalpelli ceterum acie, prout in hisce fungillis solemne est, multo minor (S&A), the globulus usually completely regular [i.e. uniform], after which, it falls off, then a hemispheric capsule, perforated with a half-ellipsoid pore with a straight fissure, is clearly distinguished; in other respects, by the edge of a scalpel, it is exactly, as is the custom in these very fungilli, much smaller.

Anthera,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. anthera: the anther, “used by Linnaeus for the seta and capsule of Mosses, as in Bryum” (Jackson).

Capsula,-ae (s.f.I): “(obsol.) the perithecium or receptacle of Fungi” (Jackson)

Capsula spuria (adj.A): “”a spurious capsule (obsol.) is any dry seed-vessel that is dehiscent. Also (obsol.) employed among Fungals, to denote certain kinds of perithecium, or receptacle” (Lindley).

Ceratium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. ceratio: “(obsol.) what is usually called a capsula siliquiformis. A long, slender, horn-like, one-celled, superior fruit, as in Hypecoum [Papaveraceae]” (Lindley).

Collum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. collo: (in bryology) the sterile basal portion of a capsule, often strongly differentiated, the tapered base, or neck, of the capsule.

Germen,-inis (s.n.III), abl. sg. germine: formerly used for the capsule of Mosses (Jackson).

Urn, “the spore-case of Urn-mosses” (Lindley); the spore-bearing part of a bryophyte capsule, often in contrast to the sterile neck (the apophysis or hypophysis), syn. theca,-ae (s.f.I), q.v.

NOTE: germen,-inis (s.n.III), abl. sg. germine: “formerly used for the capsule of Mosses” (Jackson).

NOTE: forms of capsular dehiscence: see circumscissile, loculidicalis,-e (adj.B), poricidalis,-e (adj.B), septicidalis,-e (adj.B).