A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Latex, gen. sg. laticis (s.m.III), acc. sg. laticem, abl.sg. latice. nom. & ac.pl. latices, dat. & abl.pl. laticibus: juice, fluid, often of a milky color, more viscous and sticky than what is thought of as sap, q.v.; “a milky, usually white fluid of variable composition that is usually made up of various gum resins, fats, or waxes ... that is found in or produced by cells of plants esp. of the Asclepiadaceae, [Moraceae, Asteraceae] ... and that yields rubber, gutta-percha, chicle, and balata as it schief commercial products; ... any of various emulsions in water of a synthetic rubber or plastic obtained by polymerization and used chiefly in paint and other coatings (as for paper) and adhesives” (WIII) [> L. latex,-icis (s.m.III) a fluid]; see juice, ‘sap;’

- vasa laticis, lactiferous ducts [vasa = nom.pl. vas, q.v.]

- lamellae laticem album producentes, the lamellae producing a white latex.

- venis latice lactario tensis, with the veins distended with milky latex.

- herba glaberrima, paludosa, scapigera, vasis laticiferis destituta (B&H), a very hairless herb, of wet places, bearing scapes, destitute of latex-bearing ducts.

- latex lacteus, abl. sg. latice lacteo, milky latex.

Granula,-ae (s.f.I) lacticis (gen.sg.): latex granules, “particles of starch or other matter, floating in the latex” (Lindley).

Laticiferous vessels: “a continuous anastomosing tubular tissue in which latex is conveyed. It is probably a modification of cellular tissue, formed in a similar way to bothrenchyma” (Lindley).

Milk-vessels: “those tubes which contain the milky fluids. See Cinenchyma” (Lindley).

Rubber: elastica,-ae (s.f.I).

NOTE: cf. lac, “a fluid having an opaque appearance, and either white, orange, or some such color, occurring in many plants” (Lindley); latex = “the same as lac, q.v.; but extended to any kind of viscid fluid conveyed in laticiferous vessels, whether opaque or not” (Lindley).