Re: Amorphophallus titanum

---

One more thing: Quercus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Malus, Pyrus, Prunus, Pinus, Alnus, EucalyptusÂ- all they end with -us suggesting a masculine gender while most of their specific epithets are feminine.

Can a Latin feminine word end with -us?

Â

Marek

Â

Â

----- Original Message -----

From: a*@hotmail.com

To: aroid-l@www.gizmoworks.com

Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 2:13 AM

Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Amorphophallus titanum

The gender of a genus is unrelated to the habit of the plants it contains, though I think it is true to say that a majority of generic names are feminine. Calophyllum is a neuter genus of trees, and Elaeocarpus is a masculine one, for example.

A

On 09/02/2011, at 10:13 PM, Eduardo Gomes Goncalves <e*@inhotim.org.br> wrote:

Dear Dylan,

All "tradicional" trees are female in Latin. The question is that "tradicional" are trees defined as so. Syagrus is a female word because it is considered a tree but probably Cicerus never mentioned it in his classical texts. Moreover, we are not exactly sure that all palms are trees (mainly in Syagrus, with plants of some species reaching no more than 30 cm tall).Â

The borderline is quite fuzzy and tricky.Â

Very best wishes,Â

Eduardo.Â

Em 08/02/2011, Ãs 12:24, Hannon escreveu:

Dear Eduardo,

Thank you for this inquiry, it is good to know these things.

Alistair,

So would we have Alocasia scalprifolia for an adjectival epithet then?

Regarding the example of Pinus, I believe all tree genera are regarded as feminine, no matter their origin. How lines are drawn between trees and non-trees I do not know.

Regards,

Dylan Hannon

On 7 February 2011 07:12, Eduardo Gomes Goncalves <e*@inhotim.org.bre*@inhotim.org.br> wrote:

Dear AlistairÂ

You are absolutely correct. I have re-checked this morning and "titanum" is the genitive plural of "titan" so it means exactly "of the titans". Since it came from greek, its declension is anomalous.Â

Many thanks for your help.Â

Very best wishes,

Eduardo.Â

Em 06/02/2011, Ãs 21:15, Alistair Hay escreveu:

I think the point is that not all speces epithets are adjectival, so they do not necessarily have to agree with the gender of the genus.

For example in Alocasia scalprum the epithet is a noun which happens to be neuter: the knife alocasia. An adjectival latin epithet in Alocasia would indeed be feminine: ÂAlocasia indica: the indian Alocasia.

Aglaonema is a neuter genus, as are Cyrtosperma, Arisaema and Syngonium. So its Aglaonema rotundum, Cyrtosperma cuspidispathum, Arisaema concinnum and Syngonium chiapense when the epithet is adjectival.

In Amorphophallus titanum, Âthe epithet is not an adjective. I am uncertain but fairly sure it is the genitive plural, meaning "of the titans" or something like that. It does not mean the adjective "titanic".

Alistair

On 05/02/2011, at 10:50 PM, "Marek Argent" <a*@wp.pla*@wp.pl> wrote:

Dear Eduardo,

Â

A good point.

Â

The suffix -um is neutral and itÂfits to all grammatic genera:

Also feminine botanical genera species epithet can end with -um,

the examples are: Arisaema triphyllum,ÂAlocasia scalprum, Aglaonema commutatum, Syngonium auritum...

But indeed, I have neverÂheard anotherÂconstruction like Amorphophallus titanum.

Â

I always wonderedÂwhy Alocasia macrorrhizos is a proper name,Âthe epithet is of Greek origin,

and I don't know why it isÂnamed so. The suffix -os is masculine in Greek, and Alocasia is feminine.

And what do you think about the name Synandrospadix vermitoxicus?

I can't find anywhere what is the gender of the word "spadix". Isn't it feminine?

Â

There is alsoÂone important note,

many people erroneously take genera ending withÂ-is as masculine, but it is feminine,

Ariopsis peltataÂor in other families IrisÂpumila, Clematis lanuginosaÂetc.Â

Also the genera ending with -as are feminine: Anubias gigantea, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, Cycas revoluta.

But... the pine tree, Pinus seems to be a masculine word, and we have Pinus sylvestris, P. excelsa, P. nigra,

whileÂsome other species of pine end usually with -us: likeÂPinus strobus.

Â

Strange things...

Marek

----- Original Message -----

From: e*@inhotim.org.br

To: aroid-l@www.gizmoworks.com

Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 4:34 PM

Subject: [Aroid-l] Amorphophallus titanum

Dear fellows,Â

I have a silly (but important) question for you. As far as I know, Amophophallus is a masculine word, am I correct?

In Latin, except for the name of traditional trees (Malus, Pyrus, etc), all names ended in -us are male names. So it is correct to say that all adjective epithets in Amorphophallus species Âend with -us (A. gomboczianus, A. hirsutus, A lunatus, A. glaucophyllus, etc).Â

Why Amophophallus titanum is not A. titanus? Other species with a similar epithet (I don't remember none in plant kingdom, but I know Dorcus titanus - a beetle)... ÂWilbert, do you have any reason for this?

Very best wishes,

Eduardo.Â

INHOTIMÂ
Dr. EDUARDO G. GONÃALVES

Curador BotÃnico

Jardim BotÃnico

Rua B, 20Â
35460-000 | Brumadinho | MG | Brasil
+55 31 3571.6638Â Ramal Fixo 107ÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂ+55 31 9604.8618Â Ramal 380

Rua AntÃnio de Albuquerque, 215 | FuncionÃrios
30112-010 | Belo Horizonte | MG | BrasilÂ
+55 31 3223.8224ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Â

Antes de imprimir, pense em sua responsabilidade com o Meio Ambiente.

Â

---

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.comAroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

---

No virus found in the message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3423 - Release Date: 02/04/11

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.comAroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.comAroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

INHOTIMÂ
Dr. EDUARDO G. GONÃALVES

Curador BotÃnico

Jardim BotÃnico

Rua B, 20Â
35460-000 | Brumadinho | MG | Brasil
+55 31 3571.6638Â Ramal Fixo 107ÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂ+55 31 9604.8618Â Ramal 380

Rua AntÃnio de Albuquerque, 215 | FuncionÃrios
30112-010 | Belo Horizonte | MG | BrasilÂ
+55 31 3223.8224ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Â

Antes de imprimir, pense em sua responsabilidade com o Meio Ambiente.

Â

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.comAroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

--
Â<*(((>< Â Â Â<*{{{>< Â Â Â<*ZZZ>< Â Â <*////>< Â Â <*lll>< Â Â <*CCC>< Â Â<"><

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.comAroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

INHOTIMÂ
Dr. EDUARDO G. GONÃALVES

Curador BotÃnico

Jardim BotÃnico

Rua B, 20Â
35460-000 | Brumadinho | MG | Brasil
+55 31 3571.6638Â Ramal Fixo 107ÂÂ ÂÂÂÂÂÂ+55 31 9604.8618Â Ramal 380

Rua AntÃnio de Albuquerque, 215 | FuncionÃrios
30112-010 | Belo Horizonte | MG | BrasilÂ
+55 31 3223.8224ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Â

Antes de imprimir, pense em sua responsabilidade com o Meio Ambiente.

Â

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

---

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

---

No virus found in the message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com

Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3439 - Release Date: 02/12/11

_______________________________________________
Aroid-L mailing list
Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com
http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l