A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Plaga,-ae (s.f.I), abl.sg. plaga:

1. flat surface; region, tract, zone, area; district, canton, territory; particularly refering to the regions of the sky, i.e. the four quarters (north, east, south, west, septentrionalis, orientalis, australis, occidentalis); see notes below; see tract; see plateau (tableland);

- plaga ardens or plaga fervida, the torrid zone.

- plaga septentrionalis, northern regions.

- ad orientalem plagam, on the east, in the eastern quarter.

- HAB. In plaga occidentali Americae Borealis (Hooker), it dwells in the northern region of boreal [North] America.

- ad septentrionalem plagam collis, on the northern side of the hill.

- lemma princeps lanceolatum, quinquenervium, laeve per plagas, pilosum prope marginem et secundum medinervum ad basas, principle lemma lanceolate, 5-nerved, smooth on the flat areas (=laminae), pilose near and margine and the second [sc. lemma] at the bases along the midnerve.

- in plaga paludosa litorali inter sinum regis Georgii et ostium fluvii Gordon detexit (F. Mueller), detected in the swampy coastal region between the bay of king George and the mouth of the Gordon River.

- ad septentrionalem plagam collis, on the northern side of the hill.

- in locis ripariis ad partes fluvii Victoria superiores nec non in plaga elevata (Table land) ad originem rivi Sturt's Creek (F. Mueller), in riparian places in the upper parts of the Victoria river and also in the elevated region (Table land) at the source of the stream Sturt’s Creek.

- a tractu montium Expedition Range usque ad plagam altam Buckland's tableland in montibus nemorosis basalticis 1000-2000' altis (F. Mueller), from the territory of the Expedition Range mountains to the Buckland’s tableland high district in wooded basalt mountains.

- in plagis orientalibus cap. Bonae-Spei ultra Orange flumen (DeCandolle), in eastern regions of the Cape of Good Hope beyond the Orange river.

- species paucae etiam per varias plagas utriusque orbis inquilinae (B&H), a few species also introduced throughout various regions of both sides of the globe [i.e. both the North and Southern hemispheres, of Old and New Worlds].

NOTE: plaga,-ae (s.f.I), may also indicate small regions, i.e. an ‘area;’ and, in lichens, like for ‘plagula,-ae (s.f.I),’ q.v., the word may indicate colonial growth, i.e. ‘(large) colonies;’

- [lichen] in zona arctica el subarctica Cladonia rangiferina plagas vastas obtegens, in the arctic and subarctic zone, Cladonia rangiferina covering vast areas.

- [lichen] Inter muscos, supra terram et saxa, locis praesertim frigidioribus totius Europae, plagas latas saepe occupans (Nyl.) among mosses, over soil and stones, especially in the colder areas of all Europe, often occupying broad areas.

- [lichen] plagas saepe latas dense stipatum formare videtur (Nyl.), often it seems to form broad densely crowded areas.

NOTE: plaga,-ae (s.f.I) may also indicate a more restricted area or space, a specific ‘region’ on an organ; see area,-ae (s.f.I);

- (moss) folia nervo medio crasso, s. potius plaga lata e cellulis angustis elongatis exstructa, praedita (Hooker), with the nerve [i.e. costa] thick in the middle, or [s. = seu] rather provided with a broad [area] constructed from narrow, elongate cells.

- [lichen] Thallus albidus veì pallide flavido-cinerascens tenuiter granuloso-crustaceus plagas incrustantes plus minus latas formans, e quibüs emergunt podetia clavato-cylindracea vel cylindracea, simplicia aut ramulosa minora (Nyl.), the thallus whitish or pale yellow-gray thinly granulose-crustaceous forming broad encrusting areas, from which emerge smaller clavate-cylindric or cylindric, simple or branched podetia.

- [lichen] plagis thalli albido-glaucescentibus et apotheciis amoene carneis biatorinls insignis, praesertim statu vegeto (Nyl.), with the regions of the thallus whitish-glaucescent and with the apothecia biatorine beautifully carneous [i.e. flesh-colored, a pale orange yellow or pink] remarkable, especially in the fresh state [i.e. when fresh].

- [lichen] Nonnumquam plaga tenuis visibilis est latior hypothallino-filamentosa (haud raro gelatina gloeocapsoidea instrata), ex elementis anatomicis cylndricis ramosis; in qua plaga oriuntur squamulae baseos thalli. (Nyl.), sometimes the [area] is thin, visible, wider, hypothalline-filamentous (not rarely provided with a gloeocapsoid gelatine), with anatomic elements cylindric, branched; in which [area] arise the squamules [i.e. little scales] of the thallus base.

2. a wound, a blow, stroke; syn ictus, verbera, vulnus; a blow which wounds or injures; an injury; a plague, pestilence, infectionl an affliction, destruction;

- plaga leprae, a plague of leprosy.