A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Vitium,-ii (s.n.II), abl. sg. vitio, nom.& acc. pl. vitia; in Medieval Latin vicium,-ii (s.n.II), abl.sg. vicio, nom.& acc. pl. vicia: an imperfection, blemish, fault, a defect; an error; a mortal fault; a spoiling, ruining, injuring, infecting or infection; “an imperfection (in material things), fault, flaw; a defect, disorder (of the body, faculties, etc.” (Glare); “a defect acquired by a woman through the violation of her chastity” (Glare); (Eccl.) vice, sin, defect, default, blemish, wrong (Stelten).

NOTE: ‘vitium’ is also the genitive plural of vitis, gen.sg. vitis (s.f.III), q.v., ‘of vines.’

[as ‘vicium;’ - Conyza est omnibus nota, cuius folia vulvae longinque vicia remediant (Galen in Everett), Conyza [i.e. Inula graveolens Desf.; Inula viscosa Aiton; Inula Britannica L. sc. Everett] is known to everyone, the leaves of which heal long-lasting disorders of the vulva.] - Tractatus de vitio detractionis (Treatise on the Sin of Omission). [Wikipedia: Vincent of Beauvais]. - renale vitium, a disease of the kidneys; see nephritis,-idis (s.f.III).

- [fungi] Ustilago segetum (Bull.) Dittm. vars. a, Hordei, b, Tritici c, Avennae, d, Panici [of Hordeum, Triticum, Avena, Panicum]: Omnes hae varr., notissima aeque ac pessima segetum suarum vitia, agricolas male cruciant Aestate. (S&A), all these varieties are most remarkable, equally also they badly torment the farmers as the worst spoiling of their very own crops.

- [moss] eius internum peristomum minime reticulatum est, sed e processibus liberis per paria approximatis constât. Hinc genus illud vitio laborat, (Brid.), its inner peristome is the least reticulate [i.e. not reticulate whatsoever], but is composed of free [i.e. not fused] processes close together in pairs. For this reason, that genus suffers from a defect [i.e. error].

- [Usnea barbata] Vires & usus [i.e. powers and uses]. Dioscoridi adstringendi vim habet, confertque decoctus muscus insessu ad muliebrium locorum vitia (Dill.), Powers [i.e. properties] and Uses: to Dioscorides it has the power of constricting [i.e. tightening, or contracting], and the [moss], reduced by cooking, contracts “for settling injuries of the female parts [i.e. genitals].”