A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

abortivus,-a,-um (adj.A): abortive, undeveloped, defective or barren; “imperfectly developed; as abortive stamens, which consist of a filament only; abortive petals, which are mere bristles” (Lindley); “defective or terminated development; e.g. imperfectly developed spores” (Magill 1990); “with parts missing; imperfect; producing abortion” (Stearn 1996); relating to a premature delivery or miscarriage; see undeveloped;

- frutices rarius arborescentes, rigidi, saepe spinis brevibus (ramulis abortivis) armati (B&H), shrubs more rarely arborescent, rigid, often armed with short spines (undeveloped branches).

- flores post anthesin in capitula globosa sepalis abortivis rigide setigera transformati (B&H), flowers after anthesis transformed into globose bristle-bearing capitula with undeveloped sepals.

- carpella demum in capitulum congesta, maturitate pleraque abortiva, (B&H), the carpels ultimately congested into a capitulum, at maturity, many undeveloped.

- Ovaria pauca, forsan interdum nulla aut abortiva ut in plerisque speciebus americanis (DeCandolle), ovaries few, perhaps sometimes none or abortice as in most American species.

- foliis radicalibus infimisve abortivis ad squamas subvaginantes reductis, mediis et summis sessilibus multifidis (DeCandolle), with the basal or lowermost leaves abortive, reduced to somewhat sheathing scales, the middle and highest sessile, multifid.

- (moss) gemmulam minimam e foliis duobus lato-ovalibus brevi acuminatis minimis brunneis compositam sed antheridiis carentem invenimus, quam florem masculum antheridiis abortivis esse putamus (Mueller), we have encountered a tiny gemmule composed of two leaves, broadly oval, short-acuminate, very small, brown, but lacking antheridia, which we consider to be the male flower [i.e. perigonium], with the antheridia abortive.