A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

-fer,-era,-erum (adj. A suffix), gen. sg. -feri,-ferae,-feri: in Latin comp., -bearing, q.v., also '-producing', q.v.; “a Latin termination signifying the carrying of something, as ‘florifer,’ the carrier of flowers” (Lindley). These compounds are declined as regular A adjectives in all cases; the "e" is not elided [> L. fero, tuli, latum, inf. ferre, irreg. 3, carry, bear, bring]; see ferens,-entis (part.B)];

NOTE: cf. -fer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A) (Latin) and -phorus (Greek). Related: -genus,-a,-um (adj.A, in L. & Gk. comps.) -producing; -parus,-a,-um (adj. A)(in L. comp.) -producing, -bearing.

NOTE: the ending -ferus in the nominative masculine singular is less often used than -fer: all the other endings for gender and case are identical with -fer,-fera,-ferum;

- bracteoliferus, bearing small bracts; granuliferus, bearing grains; liguliferus, bearing ligules; mortiferus, deadly; somniferus, sleep-bringing (Papaver somniferum L.).

- note classical pestifer,-fera,-ferum, and also pestiferus,-fera,-ferum, bringing pestilence.

Carthamus gummiferus, Cladanthus proliferus, Cronquistianthus bulliferus, Lessingianthus laniferus, Micropus globiferus, Oxylobus glanduliferus, Psephellus mucroniferus.

NOTE: the ending, -ferus,-a,-um (adj.A) is an (ecclesiastical) Latin ending (Lewis & Short) in the word infructiferus,-a,-um (adj.A): bearing no fruit.

             singular                           plural   
Nom.  conifer  conifera  coniferum      coniferi  coniferae  conifera   
Gen.  coniferi coniferae coniferi     coniferorum coniferarum coniferorum   
Dat.  conifero coniferae conifero                 coniferis  
Acc.  coniferum coniferam coniferum   coniferos   coniferas  conifera   
Abl.  conifero conifera  conifero                 coniferis

- caulis florifer, stem flower-bearing.

- panicula fructifera, fruit-bearing panicle (Stearn).

- ramus conifer, cone-bearing branch.

- folia gemmifera, gemmae-bearing leaves.

- aequihymenifer, aequihymeniferous; bulbilifer, bulblet-bearing; filifer, thread-bearing; fructifer, frugifer, fruit-bearing; glandifer, bearing glands; granulifer, granular; stolonifer, bearing stolons; vexillifer, bearing pennants

- bifer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A): bearing fruit twice a year: arbor bifera, malus biferus, etc.; also ‘of twofold form.’

- pedicellis quadrangulis apice incrassatis bracteolam aequantibus fructiferis erectis (Boissier), with the pedicels quadrangular, thickened at the apex, equaling the bractiole, with the fruit-bearing [pedicels] erect.

- balsamifer, bearing or producing balsam; dentifer, bearing teeth; cerifer, producing wax; corymbifer, bearing corymbs; ensifer, bearing a sword; farinifer, producing a farina or bran; florifer, flower-producing; frondifer, bearing fronds; glandulifer, producing small glands (glandules); globifer, bearing globes; gummifer, producing a gum; lanifer, producing wool; lobulifer, bearing lobules; oleifer, producing oil; resinifer, producing resin; stolonifer, bearing stolons; tuberifer, producing tubers; umbellifer, bearing umbels

- Indigofera L., the Indigo, indigo-bearing.

- vernicifer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A): producing varnish (Stearn 1996).

vernifer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A): flowering in spring, spring-blooming, that which brings spring in.

multifer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A): multiferous, bearing much, fruitful, often-bearing; “producing several times in one season” (Lindley).

NOTE: pinifer and piniger in classical Latin both refer to 'producing' pine trees.

NOTE: there are ordinarily no Latin nouns ending in -fer, and consequently no gender for one.

In English such nouns occur: a conifer, a lactifer. In Latin renderings of these English nouns, a noun must be provided for such words: in English, add -ous to the adjective and supply a noun: coniferous tree, lactiferous duct, and then translate the phrase into Latin: arbor conifera, ductus lactifer, porus nectarifer;

- sulco nectarifero glabro viridi, with nectarial furrow glabrous green (Stearn).