A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Pelta,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. pelta: “a target-like shield, found on the species of Peltidea (lichen). Also a bract attached by its middle, as in Peppers” [Capsicum] (Lindley); “the round shield-like apothecium of Peltidea, etc.; [also] a bract attached by its middle, as in Peppers” (Jackson); a small, light shield in the shape of a half-moon, once used by Thracians and other non Roman (barbarous) people (Lewis & Short). However, Liddell and Scott indicate the peltE (s.f.I), was a “small light shield of leather without a rim, a [round] target, but synonymous with the Roman cetra (caetra,-ae (s.f.I). Iberian (Spanish) warriors during Roman times belonged to two infantry types, the scutati, who carried the “long scutum of celtic origin, and the caetrati carried the caetra buckler and the falcata sabre ...”. Rome and Her Enemies, 2005, Penrose, Jane, ed, Osprey Publishing, Oxford. The caetra was “rotunda,” ‘round’ (Lewis & Short). The crescent pelta (pelta lunata) was used by Thracians, the round pelta (pelta rotunda) by the Spaniards.

The pelta: “a small, light shield, which, while not the Roman pelta, which was crescent shaped, but rather the Roman caetra, a buckler, a synonym of the Gk. peltE, a smallish round shield.”

NOTE: ‘pelta’ is often used in botanical names to refer to the indusium in ferns; see pelta,-ae (s.f.I); see indusium.

NOTE: ‘Apelta,-ae (s.f.I)’ is a noun used in ferns to indicate species lacking an indusium, as in Thelypteris sect. Apelta; see apelta,-ae (s.f.I).

NOTE: Mallotus apelta = Ricinus apelta (Euphorbiaceae), a species whose flowers have no petals [> Gk. a-, without + pelta a shield].

NOTE: there is a Latin and a Romanized Greek declension of this word, much like theca,-ae (s.f.I) and thece,-es (s.f.I)

  pelta,-ae (s.f.I)                             peltE,-Es (s.f.I)  [E = eta]
     singular    plural                              singular  plural
Nom.  pelta      peltae                         Nom.  peltE    peltae
Gen.  peltae     peltarum                       Gen.  peltEs   peltarum
Dat.  peltae     peltis                         Dat.  peltae   peltis
Acc.  peltam     peltas                         Acc.  peltEn   peltas
Abl.  pelta      peltis                         Abl.  peltE    peltis

NOTE: both declensions have the same endings in the plural and dative singular.

Genera in with pelta,-ae (s.f.I) (compounds in both Gk. and Latin) (connecting vowel -i-):

Pelta,-ae (s.f.I) (Potamogetonaceae) = Zannichellia.

Brasenia pelta [noun in apposition] = Brasenia peltata = Brasenia hydropeltis: “(water)shield.”

Astragalus sect. Pelta.

Acropelta,-ae (s.f.I) (Dryopteridaceae); Amauropelta(Thelypteridaceae); Coptosapelta (Rubiaceae); Schleropelta,-ae (s.f.I) (Poaceae).

Didymopelta (Fabaceae), “twin- or paired-shields” = syn. Astragalus; Astragalus dipelta = Didymopelta turkestanica.

Dipelta,-ae (s.f.I): (Caprifoliaceae, also Fabaceae):“two shields,” in reference to the seeds’ two major bracts; Linnaea dipelta = Dipelta floribunda (Caprifoliaceae).

Epithets as nouns in apposition: Astragalus dipelta; Erica leucopelta.

Heliopeltaceae: marine diatoms (note: not Helopeltis,-idis (s.f.III), mosquito bug).

Peltanthera,-ae (s.f.I) (Peltantheracereae or variously Gesneriaceae), with peltate anthers.

Peltaspermum,-i (s.n.II), fossil with ovuliferous organs with vascular strands in the peltoid depart from that of a stalk [note –a- connecting vowel].

Thelypteris subg. Amauropelta,-ae (s.f.I)

Bulbophyllum peltopus,-podis, abl.sg. Bulbophyllo peltopode; (Orchidaceae); the Scientific name refers to the column foot which is shield shaped; Bulbophyllum section Peltopus: > Gk. pelt-, a round shield + opus,-podis (s.m.III), foot.

(compounded-embedded) Chascotheca neopeltandra (Phyllanthaceae), a species with flowers lacking petals [sic],[neo-pelt-andra – note, ‘-andra’ usually refers to the stamens]; Peltandra,-ae (s.f.I from pelte, a buckler + aner, a man. Araceae (Paxton).

(lichen) Peltula,-ae (s.f.I) Nyl., dim. of pelta,-ae (s.f.I).

Genera in peltE,-Es (s.f.I) (compounds in Greek – connecting vowel –o-): Bykinia sect. Peltoboykinia

Actinopelte,-es (s.f.I) Sacc. is also spelled as Actinopeltis,-idis (s.f.III) Hoehnel.

Peltogyne-es (s.f.I) purpleheart, violet wood,(Fabaceae), in reference to the peltate (shield-like) form of the plant's stigma.

Peltophorum,-i (s.n.II), “from Gk. peltE, a shield + phoreo, to bear; from the shape of the stigma. Leguminosae” (Stearn 1996).

Peltophyllum,-i (s.n.II), “Umbrella plant;” > Gk. peltE, a shield + phyllon, a leaf; from the form of the leaves. The name Peltophyllum having been used earlier for a genus of Triuridaceae, this has been renamed Darmera” (Stearn 1996). Darmera is “a replacement name for Peltiphyllum (Engler) Engler (1891), not Peltophyllum Gardner (1841). Saxifragaceae” (Stearn 1996).

Schizopelte,-es (s.f.I) (Roccellaceae; fungi); S. californica;, lichenized with green algae, but some lichenicolous; order Arthoniomycetes.

Caesalpinia sect. Peltophorum

Dryopteris sect. Peltochlaena

NOTE: apothecium: the shields of Lichens; firm horny disks arising from the thallus, &c., containing spores” (Lindley); the generally cup- or saucer-shaped ascocarp of Discomycetes and Discolichens. Note that a target is a kind of shield; see shield.