A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin


Thorn, a short, rigid process of a plant, developed from from a bud typical of a leafy branch; ‘a stiff, sharp pointed protective outgrowth or plant process, as a modified leaf, leaf part, petiole or stipule,’ WIII; acantha,-ae (s.f.I), q.v.; acanthophyllum,-i (s.n.II), abl. sg. acanthophyllo, an acanthophyll, a spine, often large, derived from a leaflet, as in some palms; aculeus,-i (s.m.II), q.v., abl.sg. aculeo, ‘spine, prickle’ (q.v.), a sharp epidermal emergence;’ spina,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. spina, nom. pl. spinae, acc. pl. spinas, dat. & abl. pl. spinis, ‘spine;’ spiculum,-i (s.n.II), q.v., abl. sg. spiculo, a thorn; cf. prickle, ‘a small sharp point, a small spine or thorn;’ see prickle, spine; see thicket; - spicula rosarum, the thorns of roses. Centron (Eng. word) “> Gk. kentron, a sharp point), in compounds = spur” (Jackson); > L. centrum,-i (s.n.II), abl.sg. centro = Gk. kentron (s.n.II), a prickle, any sharp point such as a horse- or ox-goad, = Lat. stimulus; a goad, spur, incentive; the sting of bees and wasps; of scorpions (Liddell & Scott); see spur (Eng.noun); see calcar,-aris (s.n.III). Note: other than the biological meanings, a thorn (English) and a spine (> Latin) are synonyms. Note: luma,-ae (s.f.I), abl.sg. luma: thorn [> L. luma,-ae (s.f.I the name of some thorny plant); a generic name Luma,-ae (s.f.I) by Asa Gray (Myrtaceae). Note: a spine or thorn is "any sharp, stiff, simple or branched, woody appendage having vascular tissues confluent with those of the bearing structure. 'spine' is often prefered when the appendage is homologous with a leaf or stipule, and "thorn" when it is homologous with a branch" (Kiger & Porter 2001). - folia spinoso-dentata et nonnumquam in spinas mutata (B&H), leaves spinose-dentate and sometimes changed into spines (acc. pl.).
Small thorn or spine: aculeolus,-i (s.m.II), abl. sg. aculeolo, ‘a small or somewhat small spine-like process;’ spinella,-ae (s.f.I), spinula,-ae (s.f.I), abl.sg. spinula, ‘spinule, a small spine;’ spiculum,-I (s.n.II), abl. sg. spiculo, ‘the sharp point of a weapon, a little spine.’
thorn-bearing, spine-bearing, spiny, thorny: aculiferus,-fera,-ferum (adj.A), ‘aculeus-bearing;’ spinifer,-fera,-ferum (adj.A); spiniger,-gera,-gerum (adj.A). Rubus aculiferus
Thorn-brake: see thicket.
Thorn-bush: see bramble
of or belonging to a thorn-bush: vepraticus,-a,-um (adj.A); - spinae vepraticae, spines like those of a thorn-bush.
thorn-like, thorn-shaped, spine-shaped: acanthicus,-a,-um (adj.A), ‘like an acantha, spiny, prickly;’ acanthinus,-a,-um (adj.A); aculeiformis,-e (adj.B), ‘aculeiform, prickle- or spine-shaped;’ spineus,-a,-um (adj.A), spiniformis,-e (adj.B), spine-shaped.
somewhat thorn-like, becoming thorn-like: spinescens,-entis (part.B); - stipulae saepe adsunt et interdum spinescent, stipules often present and sometimes somewhat thorn-like.