A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

vetus, gen.sg. veteris, abl. sg. vetere, (adj.), compar., veterior (archaic, the classical compar. is vetustior), superl., veterrimus, old (opp. young), aged; old (opp. new), of long standing; old, of a former time (opp. present, existing), former, earlier, ancient; stale, opp. recens,-entis (adj.B), ‘fresh; recent’ ; opp. juvenilis,-e (adj.B), juvenis,-e (adj.B): young, youthful; opp. recens, entis (part.B), q.v., fresh, new;

                 vetus (adj.B) 'old'   
        singular                      plural   
         m.f.      n.                m.f.       n.   
  Nom.  vetus    vetus             veteres    vetera   
  Gen.     veteris                     veterum   
  Acc.  veterem  vetus             veteres   vetera   
  Dat.      veteri                     veteribus   
  Abl.     vetere                      veteribus

- per totum orbis veteris hemisphaerium boreale, through the whole northern hemisphere of the Old World.

- caudice simplici basibus foliorum veterum vestito, with a simple caudex with the bases of old leaves clothed.

- foliola juvenilia pubescentia, vetera glabra, leaflets young pubescent, old, glabrous.

- Hab. in sylvis umbrosis, truncos veterrimos prostratos vestiens, it grows in shady woods, covering the most ancient prostrate trunks.

- Hermaphrodites, in orbe veteri indigenae (DeCandolle), [species] hermaphrodite, native to the old world.

- Muris vetustis adnascitur, v.gr. ad rudera veteris cujusdam Abbatiæ prope Westham non longe a Stratford prope Londinum (Dill.) it grows upon old walls, for example [= verbi gratia] on the rubble of a certain Abbey near Westham not far from Stratford near London.

-[Roccella] praeparant vero illam hic modo. Plantam in pulverem adeo tenuem reducunt, ut per cerniculum facillime trajiciatur; deinde vetere maris urina (nam mulieris perniciosa habetur) leviter illam irrorant vase ligneo contentam, & semel in die [sic] agitant (Mich.); furthermore they prepare that in this way. They reduce it so much into a fine powder, that it might be easily passed through a seive; then that is lightly sprinkled with the old [i.e. stale] urine of a man (for that of a woman is considered harmful) contained in a wooden vessel, and agitated once a day.

- Laserpitium Cyrenaicum, Veteribus, [Theophrasto, Dioscoridi, Plinio, aliis] tantopere celebratum, tam eximii usus in cibo, medicina & jumentorum pecudumque pabulo, quae planta fuerit hodie ignoratur (Ray), Laserpitium Cyrenaicum, so greatly celebrated by the ancients (Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, others), of such an excellent use in food, medicine and for the fodder of draught animals and [cattle], which plant has been disregarded today.

           singular                      plural   
      m.& f.       n.               m.& f.      n.   
Nom. vetustior  vetustius        vetustiores vetustiora   
Gen.     vetustioris                  vetustiorum   
Acc. vetustiorem vetustius       vetustiores vetustiora   
Dat.     vetustiori                   vetustioribus   
Abl.     vetustiore                   vetustioribus

- ramuli hornotini pilosi, annotini glabri, vetustiores crassi cortice griseo fisso, branchlets of this year's growth pilose, of last year's growth glabrous, the older ones thick with the bark grey fissured (Stearn).

- rami juniores aculeis recurvatis armati, vetustiores fere semper inermes, younger branches armed with recurved prickles, the older ones almost always unarmed (without prickles).

- ramis gracillimis, in vetustioribus aphyllis, with branches very slender, the older ones leafless.

- [fungi] [Sphaeria atrovirens; on plate II:] (NB. Cirrhi pars inferior in acervum pseudostiolarem jam consedit: icon enim haec ab exemplis vetustioribus desumta est) (S&A), the lower part of the cirrhus [i.e. tendril; spore-horn of exuded spores] by this time sunk down [i.e. collapsed] into a pseudostiolar heap: for this illustration was selected from older specimens.