A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

amph-, amphi-: in Gk. comp., around, double; of two kinds; on both sides, around [> Gk. amphi, amph- from prep. amphi ‘on both sides;’ also “all round, on all sides; both Gk. and L.]; cf. hetero-;

1. around, round about (amphispermous);

- amphigenus, growing all round an object or on two sides or poles; amphigynus, q.v., amphigynous, growing around the female organ(s).

2. on both sides, of both kinds, both

- amphibius,-a,-um (adj.A): amphibious, “living a double life, i.e. both on land and in water” (Liddell & Scott).

- amphicarpus, producing two kinds of fruit, e.g. aerial and subterranean; amphistomaticus, with stomata on both leaf surfaces; amphitrichiatus, flagellate at each (of two) pole(s); amphivorus, amphivorous, eating both animal and vegetable matter.

- amphi-Atlantic: occurring on land masses on both eastern and western sides of the Atlantic Ocean: amphiatlanticus,-a,-um (adj.A)

- amphi-Pacific: occurring on land masses on both eastern and western sides or coasts of the Pacific Ocean: amphipacificus,-a,-um (adj.A).

NOTE: cf. mon-, mono-: q.v., in Gk. comp., one-: amphitrichiatus,-a,-um (adj.A): amphitrichous, having one flagellum at each pole; cf. monotrichiatus,-a,-um (adj.A), flagellate at one pole.

Amphicarpa Ell., > Gk. amphi, of both kinds, and carpos, fruit; an allusion to the two kinds of fruits (upper and lower legumes). Amphicarpum Kunth: "Name from the Greek amphicarpos, doubly fruit-bearing," which must refer to the spikelets of 2 kinds: "one kind in a terminal panicle ... the other subterranean, cleistogamous ..." (Fernald 1950).

Amphicome,-es (s.f.I), abl.sg. Amphicome: > Gr. amphi, both + komE, a head of hair; > Gk. amphi, 'around' + come, hair; “in allusion to the structure of the seeds. Bignoniaceae” (Paxton); “the seeds of these herbaceous plants have a hairy tuft at each end” (Stearn); various fungus genera: Amphiblistrum, Amphichaeta, Amphichorda, Amphiconium, etc.