A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Humus,-i (s.f.I), abl.sg. humo: decomposing organic material (Magill 1990); the organic portion of soil formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable or animal matter (after WIII) [> L. humus,-i (s.m.II), also, but less often, humum,-i (s.n.II), the earth, soil, ground, the organic portion of soil; “the earth (as the surface on which things rest or move, and that which extends below this surface), the ground“ (Glare)]; see soil; solum,-i (s.n.II).

NOTE: this is a second declension noun but with a feminine gender, much like the names of trees.

NOTE: the abl. sg. humo may mean either ‘on the ground’ (humo sedere, to sit on the ground) or ‘from the ground’ (humo surgere, to spring from the gound).

NOTE: humi, q.v. (adverbial form of humus): on the ground; also in the ground.

Loam (Eng. noun), clayey earth, also a humus-rich soil with a mix of clay and silt: lutum,-i (s.n.II), q.v., abl. sg. luto. - humicola,-ae (s.c.I), dwelling on soil.

- ad humum organicum habitat, it dwells on organic soil.

- basidiomata sub quercibus in humo foliorum dispersa, basidiomes dispersed under oak trees in a soil of leaves.

- in humo ex foliis composito, on a soil composed of leaves.

- terra (s.f.I) humosa, a soil rich with organic decay products.

- humus paludosus (adj.A), boggy ground.

- herba aquatica radicibus fibrosis humo adfixa (DeCandolle), an aquatic herb attached to the soil by fibrous roots.

- palustres ideo musci terrae lutosae plerumque adeo immersi, ut eorum caulis humo obrutus lateat (Bridel), swamps for that reason the mosses of miry earth are usually so immersed, that their stem lies hidded, buried in soil.

spread out on the ground: procumbent: humifusus,-a,-um (adj.A), procumbens,-entis (part.B).

organicus,-a,-um (adj.A): being, composed of, or containing matter of plant or animal origin.