A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Raphid (Eng.noun), pl. raphides, also raphide (Eng.noun: WIII), “crystals of various salts formed in the interior of plants by the combination of vegetable acids with alkaline bases. They derive their name from being most commonly acicular, or needle-shaped” (Lindley); “needle-shaped crystals in the cells of plants” (Jackson); “Needle-shaped crystals in the tissues of plants, as in the Araceae” (Fernald 1950): rhaphis,-idis (s.f.III), abl. sg. rhaphide, nom. & acc. pl. rhaphides, dat. & abl. pl. rhaphidibus. Commonly used in pl. either as rhaphides or raphides (Stearn.) Note: Jackson agrees with raphid as the singular (not raphis) [> Gk. rhaphis,-idos (s.f.III), a needle, pin];

“one of the needle-shaped crystals irritating to mucous membrane and usu. consisting of calcium oxalate that occur in bundles or sheaflike groups as metabolic by-products of plant cells, are found most abundantly in stems, leaves, and roots of herbs and in the bark of trees, and are discharged when moistened’ (WIII):

rhaphis,-idis (s.f.III), abl. sg. rhaphide, nom. & acc. pl. rhaphides, dat. & abl. pl. rhaphidibus. Commonly used in pl. either as rhaphides or raphides (Stearn.) Note: Jackson agrees with raphid as the singular (not raphis) [ > “[back-formation from raphides, pl. > NL irreg. from Gk. rhaphis, gen.sg. rhaphidis, ‘needle’ from rhaptein, to sew together” (WIII); > Gk. rhaphis,-idos (s.f.III), a needle, pin (Liddell & Scott)].

NOTE: the word does not occur in Classical Latin.

NOTE: the Greek initial ‘r’ [rho] is usually transliterated as ‘rh:’ however, “just as rhaphe ('seam') has produced 'raphe' and rhaphis ('needle'), 'raphid,' that retention or omission of the h is optional in all these” (Stearn).

      singular    plural       raphis,-idos (s.f.III): ‘needle’
Nom. raphis     raphides
Gen. raphidis   raphidum
Dat. raphidi    raphidibus
Acc. raphidem   raphides 
Abl. raphide    raphidibus (following Stearn)

- [Rhaphidophora in the Aroideae] frutices graciles v. robusti, scandentes, raphidibus instructi (B&H), slender or robust shrubs, climbing, provided with raphides [raphids].

- [Stenospermation (Aroideae)]: herbae v. suffrutices raphidibus instructi (B&H), herbs or subshrubs provided with raphides.

- [Rhodospatha (Aroideae)] Frutices scandentes, raphidibus instructi, ramis radicantibus (B&H), climbing shrubs, provided with raphides, with rooting branches.

- [Spathiphyllum (Aroideae): herbae subacaules, raphidibus instructae (B&H), nearly stemless herbs, provided with raphides.

(fungi) Rhaphidophora ( = Ophiobolus); Rhaphidospora ( = Ophiobolus) (Ainsworth & Bisby).

Fibra acicularis (adj.B), nom. pl. fibrae aciculares: “fibrous cells or raphidines, occurring in Acanthaceae” (Jackson); note Jackson’s spelling ‘rhaphidines’ for the plural of ‘rhaphid.’