A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Theca,-ae (s.f.I), acc.sg. thecam, dat. sg. thecae, abl. sg. theca, nom. pl. thecae, gen. pl. thecarum, acc. pl. thecas, dat. & abl. pl. thecis; also thece,-es (s.f.I); “a spore-case. A shell, tube, sac or case of any kind containing spores” (Lindley), also “ (obs.) a cell of any kind” (Lindley); the sporangium of a fern; the spore bearing portion of the capsule of a moss, (syn. urn (urna,-ae (s.f.I); the ascus of a lichen, etc.; the pollen-producing sectors (microsporangia) of an anther, the pollen-sack; in words such as "Bryotheca" the idea of a ‘cabinet’ of curiosities may be implied,in the case of botany, a bryotheca is a moss 'herbarium', a moss cabinet collection [> L. theca,-ae (s.f.I) case, sheath, envelope > Gk. thekE (s.f.I), a container, a case to put anything in, a box, chest; a place for putting corpses in, a grave, vault]; see NOTE below;

- theca operculo brevi, conico, cartilagineo obtecta, theca covered by a short, conic, cartilagineous operculum.

- Polythecandra, antheris plurilocellatis (B&H), Polythecandra, [a genus] with the anthers plurilocellate.

- Tetratheca, antheris 2-locularibus vel 2-seriatim 4-locularibus (B&H), Tetratheca (a genus) with anthers 2-locular or 2-seriately 4-locular.

- Polythecandra, antheris plurilocellatis (B&H), Polythecandra (a genus) with anthers plurilocellate.

- Eriotheca, seminibus in lana endocarpii involutis, (the genus) Eriotheca, with the seeds enveloped in the wool of the endocarpium.

- Rhynchotheca, carpellis rostratis (B&H), (the gens) Rhynchotheca, with rostrate carpellae.

- theca erecta, nutans vel pendula, cylindracea, intense rubra, operculo longe rostrato, theca erect, nodding or pendulous, cylindric, pale red, with the operculum long rostrate.

- operculo thecae dimidium metiente, with the operculum measuring half of the theca (i.e. half the length of the theca).

- obseruandum est haec duo nomina capsulam et thecam a plerisque auctoribus ad fructum designandum. Cum vero capsula proprio sensu totum fructum (Bridel); it is to be observed these two names capsule and theca by many authors are to be designated for the fruit. In truth capsule in the special sense refers to the whole fruit.

- pilositate thecae ad omnes congeneres accedit, by the hairiness of the theca does it approach all members of the same genus.

- antherae obovatae, connectivo apice dilatato, thecis apice distantibus basi contiguis per totam longitutinem rima dehiscentibus, anthers obovate, with the connective broadened at the apex, the thecae separated at the apex touching at the base for the whole length by a fissure dehiscing (Stearn).

- antherae thecis duabus bilocularibus loculis longitudinaliter dehiscentibus, anthers with two bilocular thecae with loculi longitudinally dehiscing (Stearn).

- tubulis antherae thecas subaequantibus (non circa dimidium antherae aequantibus), with the tubules of the anther subequalling the thecas (not around half of the anther equalling).

NOTE: “(in lichens)” an enlarged cell containing spores. The name was originated by Hedwig (1789) for what is now known as the ‘ascus’ of pezizaceous fungi, and was mistakenly applied also to present-day Hymenomycetes by succeeding mycologists who observed the same general sort of organization in these Basidiomycetes” (S&D).

NOTE: the anther sac of a pollen may also be the loculus,-i (s.m.II); see locule.

NOTE: once used by Necker for the fruit of Myrtaceae (Jackson).

NOTE: theca is also “a hollow space in the pericarp formed by the doubling of the endocarp (Gray)” (Jackson).

NOTE: the word ‘head’ was “formerly used for the theca of Mosses” (Jackson).

Nectarotheca,-ae (s.f.I): “[obs.] literally a honey or nectar-case. The spur of certain flowers. See Calcar” (Lindley); “the portion of a flower which immediately surrounds a nectariferous pore” (Jackson).