A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

obscurus,-a,-um (adj.A); compar. obscurior,-ius (adj.B); superl. obscurissimus,-a,-um (adj.A) [> L. obscurus,-a,-um (adj.A): dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure]; opp. clarus,-a,-um (adj.A), q.v., clear, (of the sky) unclouded; bright, shining; cf. cloudy: ‘obscure as if surrounded by a mist;’ (of water) having, transmitting or reflecting little light, murky; see ambiguous; see hidden;

very obscure: perobscurus,-a,-um (adj.A).

1. obscure, dark, dim, shady, shadowy, indistinct; (of colors) “dark or dingy in tint” (Jackson); “dark, dull” (Stearn), faint; (of color) 'dusky,' q.v.; (of sea or other water) murky; see dingy; cf. sordidus,-a,-um (adj.A); opp. laetus,-a,-um (adj.A): (of colors) bright;

- [POLYSIPHONIA obscura; algae] caespite obscure purpureo (Agardh), with the clump dull [or dark] purple.

- [algae] margine eximie undatocrispa, colore inferioris frondis obscuriore, rigiditate (Agardh), it differs by the margin extraordinarily wavy-crisped, with the color of the lower frond darker, by its rigidity.

- [algae] Quum insuper ipsi siphones obscurissimi sunt translucet in medio tubus centralis nulla materia repletus, unde frondes harum specierum quasi linea hyalina longitudinali notatae, sub lente apparent (Agardh), whenever from above the siphones themselves are extremely dark, the central tube is translucent in the middle, filled with no material, whence the frondes of these species appear under the lens marked as if with longitudinal hyaline lines.

- [algae] species primae seriei laetioribus coloribus gaùdentes, aut in vivo rosèae vel laetius purpurea; vel fuscescentes, saepe rupicolae, in exsiccata obscuriores sed vix nigrescentes (Agardh), the first species of the series enjoys a brighter color, either rose-colored, in the living [sc. state] or a brighter purple; or blackish-brown, often growing on rocks, in exsiccata [i.e. dried specimens] duller but hardly turning black.

Helianthemum obscurum; Carcharhinus obscurus, Dusky Shark; Anas obscura, the dusky duck, the black duck.

2. obscure, hidden, concealed, covered, barely visible, difficult to see; imperceptible, indistinct, indistinguishable, vague, imprecise, difficult or hard (to see or distinguish); “hidden” (Jackson); (in bryology) “indistinct; often applied to cells with dense cytoplasmic inclusions or dense papillae making cell walls difficult to see” (Magill 1990);

- [algae] articuli, si lente parum augente observatur frons, fere ubique geniculis obscurioribus distinguendi (Agardh), the joints [i.e. articulations], if the frond is examined by magnifying a little with a lens, are almost everywhere to be distinguished from the more indistinct genicula.

- pyrenis osseis v. cartilagineis intus obscure dehiscentibus v. indehiscentibus (B&H), with the pyrenes bony or cartilagineous, within obscurely [i.e. indistinctly] dehiscent or not dehiscent.

- [algae] nemathecia rugoso-echinata, marginalia vel axillaria, obovata frondis colore, interiore cellulis obscurioribus, versus peripheriam cellulis radiantibus densissime stipatis constituta (Agardh), nemathecia rugose-echinate, marginal or axillary, obovate, with the color of the frond, the inner ones with less distinct cells, toward the periphery constituted of very densely stipate [i.e. crowded close together] radiating cells.

- [algae] articuli primariorum [sc. filorum] infimi diametro breviores, medii paulo longiores, supremi subaequales, eximie obscuri, venis sub 4 difficilius distinguendis (Agardh), the lowermost joints [i.e. articulations] of the primary [filaments] shorter in diameter, the middle longer, the terminal ones somewhat equal, extremely difficult to see, with the veins under 4, harder to distinguish.

- [algae] genicula obscura non elevata (Agardh), the genicula indistinct, not elevated.

- [algae] articuli, si lente parum augente observatur frons, fere ubique geniculis obscurioribus distinguendi (Agardh), the articulations, if the frond is observed by the lens somewhat enlarged, differentiating almost throughout the more indistinct genicula.

3. obscure, imperfectly known, uncertain, ambiguous; concealed from knowledge, secret or secretive; “hidden” (Jackson).

- [Anona africana] Deest in herb. Lin. omnino obscura (DeCandolle), completely concealed [i.e. hidden], it is absent in the Linnaean herbarium.

- STAURANTHERA, Liebm., genus valde obscurum, inter Rutaceas Aurantieas locatum est (B&H), a genus that is very uncertain, located among the Rutaceae, Aurantieae.

- [Prosopis] stipulae parvae v. 0; glandulae petiolares et jugales parvae v. obscurae, rarius 0 (B&H), stipules small or absent; the petiolar glandulae and the jugal ones [i.e. relating to the pairs] small or undeveloped.

- calyx imbricatus v. aestivatio obscura (B&H), the calyx imbricate or in the aestivation [i.e. flower-bud arrangement] imperfectly known.

- petala 4-6, sub margine disci obscuri inserta (B&H), petals 4-6, inserted under the margin of a imperfectly known disc.

- [algae] fructus Oscillatoriearum valde obscuri, duplicis forsan formae (Agardh), the fruits of Oscillatorieae very uncertain, perhaps of a double form [i.e. in two forms].

4. obscure, not clear or plain to the mind, ambiguous, vague, obscure, unclear, difficult to understand; not readily understood; “uncertain in affinity or distinctiveness” (Jackson);

- discus obscurus, the disc unclear [i.e. ill-defined].

- [algae] sphacella plerumque hyalina aut in aliis materia obscuriore repleta (Agardh), the sphacella are usually hyaline or in others, filled with a more obscure [i.e. not readily understood] material.

- [algae] fructus Ectocarpi valde obscuri, forsan duplicis generis (Agardh), the fruits of Ectocarpus are very unclear, perhaps of two kinds.

- qua causa nunc quoque tempore Riccia reticulata aemgma summopere obscurum

restat (Lindb.), for which reason even now in time Riccia reticulata remains an exceedingly obscure enigma.

- [Thalia] genus adhuc valde obscurum, Linneo non visum, ejusque character genéricus & essentialis a sola figura Plumieri concïnnatus (Swartz), a genus hitherto very indistinct, not seen by Linneus, whose generic and essential character has arisen from a single drawing of Plumier’s.

- [Pelargonium obscurum] hybridum e P. maculato et quodam ignoto (DeCandolle), a hybrid between P. maculatum and a certain unknown [sc. Pelargonium species].

- [algae] articuli, si lente parum augente observatur frons, fere ubique geniculis obscurioribus distinguendi (Agardh), the articulations, if the frond is observed by the lens somewhat enlarged, differentiating almost throughout the more indistinct genicula.

- [algae] Fructificatio diu obscura opere Patris de Macrocystide et pulçhra analysi Decaisnei jam bene cognita (Agardh), the fructification, uncertain for a long time, now well known from the work of [Patris?] regarding Macrocystis and the beautiful analysis of Decaisne.

5. (of sea or other water) dark, darkened, murky; gloomy; (of light) shadowy or shadowed, dim [e.g. hidden from the sun; concealed, (of rocks) hidden, invisible, opp. exposed or open]; cf. caecus,-a,-um (adj.A), devoid of light, that which cannot be seen, hidden, dark, obscure; opp. apertus,-a,-um (part.A): open, opened out, exposed, uncovered;

- [algae] Hab. ad rupes obscuriusculas refluenti mari denúdatas in caespites minutas erectiusculas collecta (Agardh), it grows on somewhat hidden rocks, exposed [i.e. laid bare] by the ebbing of the sea, collected in minute, somewhat erect clumps.

- [algae] Hab. ad rupes obscuras currentibus expositas infra limitem maris Mediterranei frequenter (Agardh), it grows frequently on hidden rocks exposed to the currents below [i.e. down along] the boundary [i.e. the line of the coast] of the Mediterranean Sea.

- [algae] Hab. ad rupes obscuriores magis submersas in sinubus minoribus cavernisque a vehementiori mari non nimium seclusis (Agardh), it grows on more shadowed rocks more submerged in the smaller bays and caverns not very much separated from the more tempestuous sea.

- [algae] Hab. ad rupes parum demersas obscuriusculas currentibusque expositas sinuum apertiorum (Agardh), it grows on rocks somewhat hidden, slightly submerged and exposed to the currents of more open bays.

- [Florideae; alga] Algae semper marinae et maria salsiora praeferentes, raro loca sole exposita inhabitantes, obscuriora vel aperti maris vel sinuum non nimium seclusorum praeoptantes, plurimae rupicolae aut in vicinia rupium aliis parasitae (Agardh), marine algae inhabiting always the more salty seas, rarely places exposed to the sun, more hidden, preferring rather either of the open sea or of not too secluded bays, most being rock-dwellers or parasites on others in the vicinity of rocks.

- [algae] Hab ad saxa rupesque magis absconditas et obscuriores haud rara (Agardh), not rare, it grows on stones and rocks more hidden and indistinct.

- [algae] Hab. in sinubus obscuriusculis paulo infra superficiem maris (Agardh), it grows in the somewhat obscure bays somewhat below the surface of the sea.

- [algae] Hab. ad rupes obscuriusculas demersiores et ad caules Fucacearum maris apertioris utriusque fere ubique (Agardh), it grows on the darker more submerged rocks and on the stems of Fucaceae [sc. species] of more open seas in both [i.e. two seas] and almost everywhere.

- [algae] Hab. inter spongias cavernarum obscuriorum infra limitem maris utriusque haud frequenter (Agardh), it grows not frequently among sponges of the more hidden caverns below the limit of both seas.

- [algae] Hab. in scrobiculis maris profundioris ad rupes obscuriores infra limitem demersas, rarior forma (Agardh), it grows a rarer form, in small depresions of the deeper seas on more concealed rocks submerged below the limit [i.e. of the seas], a more rare form.

- [algae] Hab. inter spongias et zoophyta in cavernis obscurioribus et ad saxa maris pròfundioris Mediterranei atque Adriatici frequenter (Agardh), it grows frequently among sponges and zoophytes in the darker caverns and on pm stpnes of the deeper sea of the Mediterranean and also of the Adriatic.

- [algae] Hab. in mari Mediterraneo ut videtur rarissima; in aliis Algis parasiticam infra limitem maris obscurioris (Agardh), it grows in the Mediterranean Sea, apparently very rare; parasitic on other algae below the edge of the darker sea.

- [algae] Quum insuper ipsi siphones obscurissimi sunt translucet in medio tubus centralis nulla materia repletus, unde frondes harum specierum quasi linea hyalina longitudinali notatae, sub lente apparent (Agardh), whenever from above the siphones themselves are extremely dark, the central tube is translucent in the middle, filled with no material, whence the frondes of these species appear under the lens marked as if with longitudinal hyaline lines.