A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Samara, “an indehiscent fruit, producing a membranous expansion, or wing, from its back or end” (Lindley); “an indehiscent winged fruit, as that of the sycamore” (Jackson); “an indehiscent winged fruit” (Fernald 1950); “the dry, indehiscent usually one-seeded winged fruit (as of an ash or elm tree) - called also key, key fruit” "so-called from its growing in bunches suggesting a hanging bunch of keys" (WIII): samara,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. samara, nom. pl. samarae, acc. pl. samaras, dat. & abl. pl. samaris [> L. samera,-ae (s.f.I), also samara,-ae (s.f.I) the seed of the elm (Lewis & Short)];

- samarae 1-3, dorso alatae, ala margine inferiore incrassata, samaras 1-3, winged on the back with the lower marginal wing thickened.

- [Trigoniastrum] Specimina nostra manca; descr. floris praecipue ex Miq. 1. c. Fructus carpella singula samaram Securidaceae simulant, sed pericarpium tenuius et margine interiore dehiscit (B&H), our specimens deficient; with the description of the flower primarily from Miq. l.c. The Fruit with single [i.e. each] carpels resembling the samara of the Securidaceae, but the pericarpium is thinner and it dehisces on the inner margin.

- [Gaudichaudia] Samarae 2 inferius in membranam calcariformem productae, dorso alatae (DeCandolle), samaras 2, the lower prolonged into a spur-like membrane, winged on the back.

Malpighiaceae:

- samarae v. nuculae 1-3, toro brevi pyramidali oblique accumbentes, dorso late alata; lateribus exalatis; rarius exalatae v. plumosae (B&H), the amaras or nucules 1-3, obliquely accumbent with a short, pyramidal torus, on the back broadly winged, wingless on the sides, more rarely wingless or plumose.

- samarae scutiformes, membranaceae, dorso alatae (B&H), the samaras scutiform [i.e. as though armed with shields], membranaceous, winged on the back.

- samarae alae 3-lobae (B&H), samaras with a three-lobed wing.

- samarae alae cruciatae, marginales, dorso exalatae (B&H), the wings of the samara in the shape of a cross, marginal, wingless on the back.

- [Heteropterys] samarae 1-3, dorso alatae, ala margine inferiore incrassata (B&H), the samaras 1-3, winged on the bask, with the wing thickened on the lower margin.

- samarae 1-2, receptáculo oblongo applicatae, apice in alam rectam v. obliquam expansae, ala margine antico superiore incrassata (B&H), samaras 1-2, attached to an oblong receptacle, at the apex spread out into a straight or oblique wing, with the wing thickened on the upper antical margin.

- samarae 3, receptáculo pyramidali applicatae, oblongae, superne extrorsum in alam productae (B&H), samaras 3, attached to a pyramidal receptacle, oblong, prolonged upward externally into a wing.

- samaras 1-2, attached to an oblong receptacle, at the apex spread out into a straight or oblique wing, with the wing thickened on the upper antical margin.

- samarae 1-3, superne in alam extensae, margine antico superiore crassiore non raro appendiculato, lateribus saepe cristatis (B&H), samaras 1-3, prolonged above into a wing

- samarae 1-3, apice in alam expansae, ala margine superiore antico crassiore, latere tuberculatae (B&H), samaras 1-3, expanded at the apex into a wing, with the wing thicker on the upper antical margin, tuberculate on the side.

- samarae 1-3, dorso alatae, lateribus interdum cristatis v. muricatis, ala margine superiore incrassato (B&H), samaras 1-3, winged on the back, with the sides sometimes crested or muricate, with the upper wing thickened on the margin.

- samarae 1-3, lateribus subcristatis, dorso alatae, ala basin versus cum cristis confluente margine antico incrassata (B&H), samaras 1-3, with the sides slightly crested, winged on the bask, with the wing thickened toward the base with crests, confluent with the antical margin.

“The Samara is a superior, two- or more celled fruit, each cell being dry, indehiscent, one- or few-seeded, and having its pericarp extended into a winged expansion. Examples may be found in the Maple [Acer], Ash [Fraxinus] and Elm [Ulmus]. By some botanists each winged portion of such a fruit is called a samara, and thus such fruits as the Maple are considered to be formed of two united samaras (Bentley).

“These winged seeds must be carefully distinguished from samaroid fruits, such as the Ash, Elm, and Maple [also Birch (Betula], where the wing is an expansion of the pericarp instead of the testa [i.e. seed-coat] (Bentley).

Apparently the samara-fruit was called the Pterides or Pteridium by S. Gray.