A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin


Milk, milky juice: lac, gen.sg. lactis (s.n.III), acc. sg. lac, abl. sg. lacte; latex, gen. sg. laticis (s.m.III), abl. sg. latice, ‘juice, fluid, often of a milky color, more viscous and sticky than what is thought of as sap, q.v.; gal-, gala-, galact-, galacto-: in Gk. comp. 'milky' (referring either to milky color or production of white latex); the color white.
milk-: see gal-, lact-; in L. comp., lact-, lacti- [> L. lac, gen. sg. lactis, s.n.III, milk, the milky sap of plants]; - lacticolor, milk-colored; lactifer,-fera,-ferum, bearing milk; lactiflorus, with milk-white flowers; lactigenus,-a,-um, producing milk; Lactuca,-ae L. (s.f.I), the ancient name of the Lettuce (L. sativa L.) from lac, milk, in reference to the milky juice of these plants); Lactarius,-ii (s.n.II), DC. ex S. F. Gray (Agaricaceae) fungus with milk-like juice. in Gk. comp. gal-, gala-, galacto- [> Gk. gala, gen. sg. galaktos (s.n.III), milk (the Latin lac appears in the genitive ga-lac-tos]; - galachrous, milk-colored; galactanthus, galanthus, with milk-white flowers - Galactia,-ae (s.f.I) P. Br. the Milk-pea, from Gk., gala, milk: the author originally described the genus as having "milky branches" (Fernald 1950 p. 939)l Galanthus,-i (s.m.II), Snowdrop, from gala and anthos, flower); Galax,-acis (s.f.III) L., from gala, perhaps due to the milk-white flowers; Galium,-ii (s.n.II) L., Bedstraw, from gala, which is curdled by some species in the genus (Fernald 1950). NOTE: not to be confused with gale, a contraction of gale,-eEs (s.f.III) the marten cat, polecat, weasel, as in Galeopsis L., "from some fancied likeness of the corolla to the head of a weasel" (Fernald 1950). Galinsoga,-ae (s.f.I), named after M. M. de Galinsoga, 18th century Spanish botanist.
milk, filled with; milky: lactiginous, filled with milk; milky: lactiginosus,-a,-um (adj.A) [> L. hypothetical word lactigo,-inis, see -ago,-inis].
milk-like in texture: emulsivus,-a,-um (adj.A); like milk: lacteus,-a,-um (adj.A); - herbis per laticem emulsivum sustentis, with herbs nourished by a latex with a milky texture.
milk-white: lactaneus,-a,-um (adj.A), lacteus,-a,-um (adj.A), lacticolor,-oris (adj.B), lactineus,-a,-um (adj.A); - venis latice lactario tensis, with the veins distended with milky latex (latex, gen. sg. lacticis (s.m.III).
milk or latex producing: lactifer, lactifera, lactiferum (adj.A).
Milk-vessels: “those tubes which contain the milky fluids. See Cinenchyma and Laticiferous vessels” (Lindley); see laticifer (Eng.noun).
milk-, or latex-producing: lactifer, lactifera, lactiferum (adj.A).