A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Cotyl (Eng.noun): a ‘cup;’ also similar in meaning to acetabulum,-i (s.n.II) = “a little cup used in ancient Rome to hold vinegar or sauce at the table” (WIII), is a word frequently used in anatomy in mammology and entomology; cf. scyphus,-i (s.m.II).

1. –cotyl, or -cot (Eng.suffix for ‘cotyledon’); see cotyledon (Eng.noun).

2. cotyl-, cotyli-, cotylo-; -cotyle,-es (s.f.I): in Gk. comp., -cup, cup-shaped, an organ or part like a cup; a hollow object, a socket [> Gk. kotyl-, kotylo- > kotylE (s.f.I), a (small) cup or vessel, a cup-like hollow; also Latin cotyla,-ae (s.f.I); see cotula,-ae (s.f.I); the prefixes may be used in either Greek or Latin compounds.

NOTE: the rendering of “Epicotyl” as ‘internodium epicotylum’ or the noun ‘epicotylus (s.m.II)’ of Stearn could not be verified.

cotylicheilus,-a,-um (adj.A) > Gk. cotyl- [cup] + -i- + -cheilus [lip; rim, margin]; with a cup-shaped lip; Catasetum cotylicheilum (Orchidaceae), with cup-like lip.

cotiliformis,-e (adj.B): cup-shaped; cf. acetabuliformis,-e (adj.B).

cotyloideus,-a,-um (adj.A): resembling a cup [> Gk. cotylE, ‘cup’ + eidos, ‘resemblance’]. The anatomical ‘acetablum’ is also the cotyloid cavity: a concave surface of the pelvis that fits the ball in the hip joint in a ‘ball-and-socket’ hip joint.

cotylolabius,-a,-um (adj.A): cotyl- + -o-+ -labius,-a,-um (adj.A): > L. cotyl- [cup] + -o- + L. -labius [lip; margin]; with a cup-shaped lip; Cyclopogon cotylolabium (Orchidaceae).

cotylophorus,-a,-um (adj.A): bearing cups; hollows; Euphorbia cotylophora (Euphorbiaceae) with cup-like lip.

cotyliger,-gera,-gerum (adj.A): bearing cups; hollows [note the –ger,-gera,-gerum endings are Latin].

Lepanthes cotylisca (Orchidaceae), the Little Cup Lepanthes, referring to the cup-like lip; Euglossa cotylisca, a fossil orchid bee, “the specific epithet is derived from the Latin term ‘cotyliscus’ (meaning ‘cupshaped cavity or hollow’) and is a reference to the deep depression of the metatibiae” (from the protologue) [> Gk. cotyliskos (s.m.II): dim. of kotylE, little cup].

Cotylorhynchus,-i (s.m.II), a genus of fossil animal > Gk. kotyle, ‘cup,’hollow’ + rhynchos, ‘beak, snout;’ due to the nasal opening being surrounded by a depressed, cup-shaped bony surface.

Cotylosauria, Permian reptiles, the name is “based upon a real or apparent dicondylar structure of the skull” S. W. Williston “The Cotylosauria”, Journal of Geology 1908 pp. 138-148; Univ. Chicago Press.

3. -cotyle,-es (s.f.I); see first declension;

             singular     plural      -cotyle,-es (s.f.I): a small cup.

  Nom.	-cotyle     -cotylae
  Gen.	-cotylae    -cotylārum
  Dat.	-cotylae	-cotylīs
  Acc.	-cotylen	-cotylās
  Abl.	        -cotylē	-cotylīs

              singular        plural      Hydrocotyle,-es (s.f.I).

  Nom.	Hydrocotyle    Hydrocotylae
  Gen.	Hydrocotylae   Hydrocotylārum
  Dat.	Hydrocotylae   Hydrocotylīs
  Acc.	Hydrocotylen   Hydrocotylās
  Abl.	        Hydrocotylē    Hydrocotylīs

NOTE: this ending, although infrequent, may also be rendered –cotyla,-ae (s.f.I) as a standard first declension Latin noun; see first declension:

Cyclocotyla,-ae (s.f.I) (Apocynaceae), a monotypic genus; C. congolensis.

NOTE: there is no adjective -cotylus,-a,-um (adj.A). The epithets [Ixora] crachycotyla; [Ixora] macrocotyla are probably nouns in apposition, perhaps in reference to the genus Cotula.

Generic names ending in –cotyle,-es (s.f.I):

Gastrocotyle,-es (s.f.I) (Boraginaceae); Hydrocotyle,-es (s.f.I) (Araliaceae), "from hydor, water, and cotyle, a flat cup;” (Araliaceae).

Hydrocotyle, Tournefort. Water pennywort. From hydor, water, and cotyle, a cavity; in reference to the plants growing in moist situations, and the leaves being hollowed like cups. Apiaceae (Paxton); "from hydor, water, and cotyle, a flat cup, the peltate leaves of several species being somewhat cup-shaped" (Fernald 1950); > Gk. hydOr, water + kotylE, a small cup; from the form of the leaves in H. vulgaris. Umbelliferae” (Stearn 1996); 2023 = Hydrocotylaceae.

NOTE: epithets ending in –cotyle,-es (s.f.I) are nouns in apposition:

Begonia heracleicotyle; Blepharis menocotyle; Dorstenia hydrocotyle.

NOTE: In the epithet of Calcearia leucotyle, the final syllable of the prefix ‘leuco-‘ is elided before –cotyle: leu(co) + -cotyle > leucotyle.