A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Herb, “a plant with a soft stalk of the same consistence as leaves, and renewed every year, at least the part above ground” (S.Gray); “a plant with no persistent stem above ground” (Jackson);“a plant with no persistent woody stem above ground; also plants used in seasoning or in medicine” (Fernald 1950): herba,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. herba, nom.pl. herbae, acc. pl. herbas, dat. & abl.pl. herbis; = Gk. botanE (s.f.I), ‘pasture, grass, fodder’ (Liddell & Scott); see vegetabile; see plant, tree, shrub; see plant (Eng.noun);

[> L. herba,-ae (s.f.I): = Gk. phorbE; “springing vegetation, grass, green stalks or blades, green crops, herbage, an herb; also weeds, useless plants (Lewis & Short)].

- herbae annuae vel perennes erectae vel repentes, glabrae, herbs annual or perennial, erect or creeping, glabrous (Stearn).

- herba,-ae (s.f.I) topiaria: a plant used for borders in gardens.

- frequens occurrit in ramis vetustis siccis herbarum fruticumque (S&A), it occurs frequent on old dried branches of herbs and shrubs.

- crescit in herbarum caulibus firmioribus variis : v. c. Lilii bulbiferi (maculis atris), Delphinii Ajacis , Selini palustris (maculis piceis) etc. (S&A), it grows on the various firmer stems of herbs, e.g. v.c. [vidi cultam] on Lilium bulbiferum (with (dull) black spots), on Delphinium Ajacis, on Silinus palustris (with pitch-black spots, etc.

- stipites herbarum aridos ubique infestans (S&A), everywhere infesting the dry stalks of herbs.

- colore etiam pallido, cum herbae virore mixto, fuligine quasi afflato ac ita sensim nigrescente, and with the color also pale, mixed with the greeness of an herb, as if blown on with soot and thus gradually becoming black.

- frutices suffrutices v. herbae durae (B&H), shrubs, subshrubs or hard herbs.

- herbae aquaticae v. terrestres, rarius suffrutices (B&H), herbs aquatic or terrestrial, more rarely subshrubs.

- herbae suffruticesve saepissime carnosae (B&H), herbs or near-shrubs most often fleshy.

- herba (quae paludosa videtur) animalibus infesta et a Dorabeyo Centella dicta, (DeCandolle), an herb (which seems a swamp plant) attacked by animals and called Centella by Dorabeyus.

- nos saltem fungum bis modo inventum in herbis admodum heterogeneis, Cerastio vulgato et Potentilla norvegica, offendimus (S&A), we at any rate came upon the fungus, found only twice, on completely heterogeneous herbs, [on] Cerastium vulgatum and Potentilla norvegica.

dwelling on herbs: herbicola,-ae (s.c.I), abl. sg. herbicola. restibilis,-e (abj.B): “(obsol.) a plant with a perennial root and annual stems; an herbaceous plant” (Lindley).

- [DEFINITION:] HERBA, proprie loquendo, plantae genus, cujus caulis singulis annis perit, novo deinde renascente vel ab radice foliato, vel nudo, floribus & semine donato. Herba annua dicitur, quae eodem anno nata flore fructuque perfectis moritur, ut frumenta. Bima vero, Trimave, quae intra spatium duorum vel trium annorum sua tempora perficit. Sempervirens, quae folia non deponit, nisi novis renascentibus, ut Viola. Quaedam hyeme folia deponunt, sed restibili radicis foecunditate regerminant, & nova folia promunt (Tourn.),

An herb, properly speaking, is a type of plant, the stem of which disappears in every year, thereafter reborn anew [i.e. as a new thing] or foliated [i.e. provided with leaves] from the root, or naked [i.e. lacking leaves], furnished with flowers and seed. An herb is called ‘annual,’ which, having been born, dies in the same year, after the flower and fruit have been perfected, as in grain crops. In fact [an herb is herba] ‘bima’ [i.e. continuing two years], or [herba] ‘trima’ [i.e. continuing three years], that, within the space of two or three years, completes it’s own [i.e. particular] lifetime. [An herb is called] Sempervirens, that does not drop its leaves, except by regrowing new ones, as the Violet. Some leaves drop down in winter, but with the renewed fecundity of the root, regerminate, and put forth new leaves.