Botanical Latin
 Lesson 6 - Group B Adjectives


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(updated 28 December 2022)

In lesson 4 you learned about Group A adjectives, whose endings are the same as the endings of first and second declension nouns. This lesson covers Group B adjectives, which have the same endings as third declension I-stem nouns with the exception that the masculine and feminine ablative singular group B adjectives end in -ī. The following tables (6.1–6.4) summarize group B adjectives.


Table 6.1 - group B adjective masculine and feminine endings. (* = different from third declension I-stem masculine and feminine nouns).
case singular plural
nominative “base word” stem + ēs
genitive stem + is stem + ium
dative stem + ī stem + ibus
accusative stem + em stem + ēs
ablative stem + ī * stem + ibus


Table 6.2 - group B adjective neuter endings, which are identical to third declension neuter I-stem endings.
case singular plural
nominative “base word” stem + ia
genitive stem + is stem + ium
dative stem + ī stem + ibus
accusative stem + em stem + ia
ablative stem + ī stem + ibus


Table 6.3 - example: perennis, perennis, perenne (perennial) singular (macrons omitted)
case masculine and feminine neuter
nominative perennis perenne
genitive perennis perennis
dative perenni perenni
accusative perennem perenne
ablative perenni perenni


Table 6.4 - example: perennis, perennis, perenne (perennial) plural (macrons omitted)
case masculine and feminine neuter
nominative perennes perennia
genitive perennium perennium
dative perennibus perennibus
accusative perennes perennia
ablative perennibus perennibus


Vocabulary (only group B adjectives) - The nominative singular forms are given for masculine, feminine, and neuter genders (in that order). Although the masculine and feminine endings are the same, it may be helpful to see all three forms for each adjective. Using the first adjective in the vocabulary as an example, the nominative singular masculine is abaxialis, the nominative singular feminine is abaxialis, and the nominative singular neuter is abaxiale. Occasionally a nominative singular of a group B adjective does not have the common -is, -is, -e endings; e.g., simplex and pubescens, in which the nominative is the same for all three genders. For these adjectives, the genitive will be given. For more group B adjectives, visit the online Botanical Latin Glossary and search for “group B” (without the quotation marks).

abaxialis, -is, -e – abaxial acaulis, -is, -e – stemless (in)aequalis, -is, -e – (un)equal (to)
affinis, -is, -e – related (to)
[takes genitive or dative]		 apicalis, -is, -e – apical axillaris, -is, -e – axillary
basalis, -is, -e – basal biennis, -is, -e – biennial brevis, -is, -e – short
caulinis, -is, -e – cauline communis, -is, -e – common filiformis, -is, -e – filiform
gracilis, -is, -e – slender grandis, -is, -e – large, tall horizontalis, -is, -e – horizontal
humilis, -is, -e – low irregularis, -is, -e – irregular laevis, -is, -e – smooth
lateralis, -is, -e – lateral levis, -is, -e – light (in weight) linearis, -is, -e – linear
marginalis, -is, -e – marginal omnis, -is, -e – all orbicularis, -is, -e – orbicular
ovalis, -is, -e – oval, elliptic palustris, -is, -e – marshy perennis, -is, -e – perrenial
pubescens, pubescens, pubescens (genitive singular: pubescentis – pubescent reniformis, -is, -e – reniform, kidney-shaped sessilis, -is, -e – sessile
similis, -is, -e – similar (to)
[takes the dative]		 simplex, simplex, simplex (genitive singular: simplicis) – all tenuis, -is, -e – thin
terminalis, -is, -e – terminal viridis, -is, -e – green {?}, -is, -e – {?}


Latin Descriptions and Diagnoses
The scientific name of a species is a binomial. That is, it is composed of two names: the genus and the specific epithet. (Do not make the common mistake of calling the specific epithet the “species name”.) With rare exceptions the specific epithet is either an adjective or a possessive form of a noun.
   When the epithet is an adjective, it must agree with the genus name in case, number, and gender. The case and number of a genus name is nominative singular and, therefore, an epithet that is an adjective must also be nominative singular. Its gender depends on the gender of the genus. The fern genus Asplenium is neuter, so any specific epithet that is an adjective must also be neuter. For example, the “green” Asplenium is Asplenium viride (viride is the neuter form of the group B adjective viridis, -is, -e). Similarly for group A adjectives, we have Lathyrus japonicus, a masculine Lathyrus modified by the masculine form of japonicus, -a, -um. Recall that names of some trees and shrubs may end in -us, but they are feminine in gender. That is why we find names like Alnus incana, a feminine form of an adjective modifying a masculine-looking but neverthess a feminine genus.
   When a newly discovered species is named in honor of an individual—historically, these have been men–that individual’s name is Latinized and the genitive singular masculine is used. Thus, we have Isoëtes tuckermanii (Tuckerman’s quillwort or, to follow the word order of Latin, the quillwort of Tuckerman) and Brasenia schreberi (the Brasenia of Schreber).

Exercises
Translate the following into English.
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Write the following in Latin.
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Write a Latin description for the following. These are more challenging. You have to convey the meaning rather than following the exact wording.
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