Lycopodium obscurum

Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 2 November 2024)

Lyopodium obscurum L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species on p. 1102 of Species Plantarum as Lycopodium obscurum.
   2003: In The Families Huperziaceae and Lycopodiaceae of New England: A Taxonomic and Ecological Reference (ISBN 0-9664874-6-X), Arthur Haines revised the family Lycopodiaceae, creating several new genera, one of which was Dendrolycopodium, into which he transferred this species.
    today: The current name for this species is Dendrolycopodium obscurum (L.) A. Haines

original Latin diagnosis
Lycopodium foliis sparsis decurrentibus, sarmentis repentibus, surculis erectis dichotomis.

English translation
Lycopodium with leaves scattered [and] decurrent; with horizontal shoots creeping; [and] with upright shoots erect [and] dichotomous.

English translation with commentary

Lycopodium Lycopodium

with leaves foliis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun folium, -i

scattered sparsis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective sparsus, -a, -um; modifies foliis

[and] [added for smoother reading]

decurrent; decurrentibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of 3rd conjugation verb decurro, decurrere, decurri, decursum; modifies foliis

with horizontal shoots sarmentis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun sarmentum, -i

creeping; repentibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of 3rd conjugation verb repo, -ere, -si, ---; modifies sarmentis [Note: they are subterranean.]

[and] [added for smoother reading]

with upright shoots surculis - ablative plural of 2nd declension masculine noun surculus, -i

erect erectis - ablative plural masculine of perfect passive participle of 3rd conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectus; modifies surculis

[and] [added for smoother reading]

dichotomous. dichotomis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective dichotomus, -a, -um; modifies surculis

For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here. To access the Species Plantarum concordance, please click here.

Lycopodium	Lycopodium
with leaves	foliis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun folium, -i
scattered	sparsis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective sparsus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and]	[added for smoother reading]
decurrent;	decurrentibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of 3rd conjugation verb decurro, decurrere, decurri, decursum; modifies foliis
with horizontal shoots	sarmentis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun sarmentum, -i
creeping;	repentibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of 3rd conjugation verb repo, -ere, -si, ---; modifies sarmentis [Note: they are subterranean.]
[and]	[added for smoother reading]
with upright shoots	surculis - ablative plural of 2nd declension masculine noun surculus, -i
erect	erectis - ablative plural masculine of perfect passive participle of 3rd conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectus; modifies surculis
[and]	[added for smoother reading]
dichotomous.	dichotomis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective dichotomus, -a, -um; modifies surculis