A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Flagellum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. flagello, nom. & acc. pl. flagella, dat. & abl.pl. flagellis: whip, whip-lash; a slender branch; a slender process, such as a creeping stem; (in mosses) in reference to small, axillary branches and sometimes to long, slender tapering stems or branches; sometimes used to mean cilium on sperm cells (C&A); (in palms) a whiplike climbing organ derived from an inflorescence, bearing reflexed spines; (fungi) “a relatively long, whiplike swimming process of zoospores, with an exial filament surrounded by a contractile sheath, the filament arising typically from a blepharoplast which in turn is connected to the centrosome of the nucleus by a rhizoplast” (S&D); syn. sarmentum,-i (s.m.II), q.v.; in Gk. = mastix,-igis (s.f.III), abl.sg. mastige, ‘whip;’ cf. cirrus,-i (s.m.II); see mastix,-igis (s.f.III), and whip; cf. cilium,-ii (s.n.II);

Flagellum: “(obsol.) a twig, or small branch; also a runner like that of the Strawberry” (Lindley). An aerial modification of stems and branches: Runner or Flagellum “This is an elongate slender, prostrate branch, sent off from the base of the stem, and giving off at its extremity leaves, and roots, and thus producing a new plant, which extends itself in a similar manner. This is well seen in the common Strawberry (Bentley).

Runner (a species of stem): Runner, Flagellum, Sarmentum, Viticula. A naked branch lying on the ground, taking root with a tuft of leaves at certain distances. Fragaria vesca. (S. Gray); see sarmentum,-i (s.n.II).

- flagellis 2 circa aequilongis, with flagella 2 approximately of equal length.

- foliis radicalibus petiolatis, flagellis e collo ortis (DeCandolle), with the basal leaves petiolate, with flagella arisen from the neck [i.e. the point of divergence of root and stem] [in Ranunculus Cymbalaria, a plant “with filiform repent stolons” (Fernald 1950)].

- [Ranunculus repens var. linearilobus] flagellis reptantibus longissimis floriferis, lobis foliorum angustissimis (DeCandolle), with the flagella [i.e. whip-like processes] reptant [i.e. creeping], very long, bearing flowers, with the lobes of the leaves very narrow.

- RANUNCULUS REPENS, foliis pinnatim 3-sectis, segmentis cuneatis 3-lobatis inciso-dentatis, caule flagella prostrato-repentia e collo agente (DeCandolle), with the leaves pinnately 3-divided, with the segments cuneate [i.e. wedge-shaped], 3-lobed, incised-dentate, with the stem developing flagella [i.e. whip-like processes] creeping-prostrate from the neck [i.e. the imaginary boundary between the above- and underground portion of the axis (Jackson)].