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[-Home-] Roots: S


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sacc-
referring to a bag (saccifera = sac-bearing)
sacchar-
referring to sugar (Saccharum, the sugar cane genus)
sagit-
referring to an arrow (sagittarius)
salic- / salig-
referring to the genus Salix, the willow (salignifolia = willow-leaved / salicifolia)
sal-
referring to salt (salinus / salicolus)
salp-
referring to a tube (Salpiglossis = tube + tongue)
salv-
referring to helping, saving, healing (Salvia, from the medicinal properties of some species of this the Sage genus)
sambuc-
referring to the genus, Sambucus, the elderberry (sambucoides = like Sambucus)
sanct-
holy, revered (sanctum)
sang-
referring to blood (Sanguinaria, the Blood-Root)
sapid-
tasty (sapidus)
sapien-
referring to ancient wise men/writers/sages (sapientia)
sap-
referring to soap (Sapindus = soap + India)
sarco-
referring to flesh (sarcomentum / sarcodes)
sarment-
referring to runners (sarmentosa)
sativ-
referring to cultivation (sativa)
saur-
referring to a lizard (Saururus = liazrd's tail)
sax-
referring to a rock (Saxifraga = rock-breaker / saxicolus / saxosus / saxatilis / saxorum)
scal-
referring to a ladder (scalaris)
scand-
climbing (scandens)
scap-
referring to a scape (scaposa)
scaph-
referring to a boat (Scaphosepalum = boat + sepal)
schiz- / schis-
cut, divided, split (schizophylla = cleft leaves)
scia-
referring to an umbrella, shade (Sciadophyllum)
-scia(...)
referring to an umbrella (Polyscias = many umbrellas, referring to the large and abundant foliage of this genus)
scirp-
referring to the genus Scirpus, the bulrush (scirpoides)
scler-
hard (sclerocarpus = hard fruit)
scopul-
referring to a cliff (scopulorum = of the cliffs)
scorp-
referring to a scorpion, a coiled structure (scorpioides)
scut-
referring to a salver or dish or shield (shape) (Scutellaria) (scutatum)
seb-
referring to wax, tallow (sebiferum)
-sect(...)
cut (pinnatisect = pinnately cut)
secund-
referring to a side (secundiflora = flowers on one side)
sed-
sedentary (Sedum)
selen-
referring to the moon (Selenicereus = moon cactus, because it's night-blooming)
semi-
semi, half (Semiarundinaria something like a reed, a genus of bamboo)
semper-
always (sempervirens = evergreen / Sempervivum = living for ever))
senil-
old, white-haired (senilis)
sept-
referring to the number seven (septangularia = seven- angled)
seric-
referring to silk (sericeus / sericofera = silk-bearing)
serotin-
late, autumnal (serotina)
serpent-
referring to a snake (serpentarius / serpentinus)
serra-
referring to a saw (serratus / serrula / serrulata)
sesqui-
referring to the number one and 1/2
sessil-
unstalked, sessile (sessilis / sessiliflora = unstalked/ peduncled flowers / sessilifolia = unstalked/ petioled leaves)
seta- / seti-
referring to a bristle (setigera / setacea)
sibir-
referring to Siberia (siberiacus)
sider-
referring to iron (Sideroxylon = iron wood)
-sider(...)
referring to iron (Metrosideros = heart of iron)
sikkim-
referring to N. India (sillimensis)
silic-
referring to sand (siliceus)
silv-
referring to the woods (silvaticus)
simpl-
simple (simplex)
sinensis
native to China
sino-
referring to China
sinu-
sinuous, wavy (sinuata)
-siphon
referring to a tube (Orthosiphon = straight tube usually a flower part)
smilac-
referring to the genus Smilax, Greenbriar
sobol-
referring to offspring (sobolifera = bearing offspring, usually meaning 'runners')
solar-
referring to the sun (solaris)
solen-
referring to a tube (Solenanthus = tube + flower)
-som(...)
referring to the body, the corporeal entity (xanthosoma = yellow body)
somn-
referring to sleep (somniferum = sleep-producing - cf. Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy)
sordid-
dirty, not pure (in appearance) (sordidus)
spath-
referring to a spoon (shape) (Spathiphyllum = leaf-like spathe)
spatu-
referring to a spoon / spatula (shape)
specul-
referring to a mirror (Specularia, Venus's Looking Glass) (speculum)
specios-
showy, spectacular (speciosum)
specta-
spectacular (spectandus)
-sperm(...)
referring to a seed (Dictyosperma = seed with network- markings)
sphaer-
referring to a sphere (sphaerocephala = round-headed)
spic-
referring to a spike (of flowers) (spicatus spicant / spiculifolia = spiked leaf)
spin-
referring to a spine (spinosa / spina-christi = Christ- thorn)
spir-
referring to a spiral (Spiranthes = spiral flowers (inflo- rescence), an orchid)
splend-
splendid (splendida)
-spor(...)
referring to a seed or spore (Hymenospora = mambraneous seed)
spum-
referring to spume or froth (spumaria)
spur-
false (spurius)
squal-
dirty (color) (squalens squalida))
squam-
referring to scales (squamosa / squamata / squamigera)
squarr-
spreading (squarrosa)
-stachy(...)
referring to a spike (of flowers) (Acanthostachys = thorny flower spike)
stans
standing, upright
-staphy(...)
referring to a cluster of grapes (Arctostaphylos = bear + grapes, alluding to the fact that bears love to eat the fruit; one of the species of this genus is uva-ursi, meaning grape + bear)
stell-
referring to a star (stellatus)
-stem(...)
referring to stamens (Pentstemon> = five stamens)
sten-
narrow (Stenocarpu = narrow fruit)
steph-
referring to a crown (Stephanandra = crown + anthers)
-steph(...)
referring to a crown (macrostephana = large crown)
-stich(...)
referring to a row (Polystichum many rows (of spore cases on this fern genus))
-stict(...)
referring to spots or glands (chlorosticta = green-spotted)
stigm-
marked (stigmatus)
stipul-
referring to a stipule (stipulata)
stolon-
referring to runners (stolonifera = bearing runners)
-stom(...)
referring to a mouth
stram-
referring to straw (color) (stramineus)
strepto-
twisted (streptophullus = twisted-leaved)
striat-
striped (striatus; viridistriata = green-striped)
strict-
erect, rigid, upright, stiff (stricta)
strig-
referring to stiff hairs or bristles (strigosa / strigillosa)
strob-
referring to a cone (e.g., of a pine) (strobilifera = cone-bearing / strobus / strobilacea / strobilanthes = cone + flower)
strum-
referring to a tumor (strumatus)
styra-
referring to gum (styraciflua = flowing with gum)
suav-
sweet, fragrant (suaveolens)
sub-
somewhat, under, almost, not-quite -- often elided as in suffruticosa, a combining-form of sub and fruticosa = sub-shrubby (subhirtella = somewhat hairy)
suber-
referring to cork (suberosus)
subul-
referring to an awl (shape) (subulata)
suffr-
referring to a shrub (suffruticosa = somewhat shrubby)
sulc-
referring to a furrow (sulcatus)
supin-
prostrate (supinus)
sylv-
referring to forests (sylvatica)
sym- / syn-
together, united (Symphoricarpos = together + to bear + fruit, referring to the clustered fruit)

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Last updated on 10/14/94