A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Ovule, “the young seed in the ovary, the organ which after fertilization develops into a seed” (Jackson); “the body which after fertilization becomes the seed” (Fernald 1950); “a rounded outgrowth of the ovary in seed plants that develops into a seed usually only after fertilization and that consists of an embryo sac borne centrally within a nucellus, the latter surrounded by one or more integuments” (WIII): ovulum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sing. ovulo, nom.& acc. pl. ovula, dat. & abl. pl. ovulis [> L. dim. of ovum,-i (s.n.II), ‘egg’]; gemmula,-ae (s.f.I), q.v., abl.sg. gemmula; see amphitropous; see gemmula,-ae (s.f.I); see integument;

- gemmulae in loculis solitariae, ovules in the loculi solitary (Stearn).

- ovula in quoque loculo duo collateralia vel plurima biseriatim superposita, rarius in loculis solitaria vel numerosissima irregulariter conferta, anatropa vel in paucis generibus orthotropa, basi medio vel apice lateraliter affixa vel rarius horizontalia, ovules in each loculus two side by side or many in two series with one ovule above the other, rarely in the loculi solitary or most numerous irregularly crowded together, anatropous or in a few genera orthotropous, at base in the middle or at the top laterally fastened or rarely horizontal; cf. ovary, placenta (Stearn). !!! shorten??

- ovulum campylotopum, the ovule campylotopous.

- ovula falcata, uncinata, prope apicem loculi pendula, funículo crasso curvo (B&H), the ovules falcate, uncinate, pendulous near the apex of the locule, with a thick, curved funiculus.

- germina quinqué verticillata uniloculata unigemmulata. Gemmula erecta prope loculi basin affixa (F. Mueller), the ovaries five, verticillate, with one locule, unigemmulate. The ovules erect, attached near the base of the locules.

Collum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. Collo: neck;”an encircling outgrowth at the base of the ovule in Ginkgo (Potter)" (Jackson).

Funiculus,-i (s.m.II), q.v., abl. sg. funiculo: funicle, “the free stalk of an ovule or seed” (Fernald 1950).

Gemmula,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. gemmula, “(obsol.) the plumule; also the ovule” (Lindley);

- loculis germinis 1-3 gemmulatis (F. Mueller), with the locules of the ovary with 1-3 ovules.

- germen multigemmulatum sessile triloculatum (F. Mueller), the ovary many-ovulate, sessile, with three locules.

Germen,-inis (s.n.III), abl. sg. germine: the ovary (Lindley); Linnaeus’s term for the ovary (Jackson).

Ovulum (s.n.II) pendulum, abl. sg. ovulo pendulo, nom. & acc. pl. ovula pendula: [ovules] “ that hang from the side of the locule” (Fernald 1950).

Suspended ovule: ovulum suspensum (part.A), abl. sg. ovulo suspenso, nom. & acc. pl. ovula suspensa.

Ascending ovule, one that is attached above the base of the ovary and is directed upward” (Fernald 1950): ovulum ascendens, abl. sg. ovulo ascendente.

NOTE: ovule = “(obsol.) ovum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. ovo, the young seed” (Lindley).

NOTE: megaspora,-ae (s.f.I), q.v.: the megaspore, “used for ovule” (Jackson).

NOTE: in early literature the ovule is synonymous with ovum, the zygote and oosphere (Jackson), hence also the corpuscle (corpusculum,-i (s.n.II), which is also the ‘egg’ and ‘oosphere’ (Jackson);

- corpuscula 2, subrotundo-lenticularia, antice hirta, ovario vicina, in carinae basi saccata arcte recepta (B&H), ovules 2, nearly rounded to lens-shaped, antically hirtous, adjacent to the ovary, saccate at the base, closely sheltered in a keel.

NOTE: “Mamilla. The apex of the nucleus of an ovule” (Lindley); see mammilla,-ae (s.f.I).