1. 
2. Help
3. Log In

Roots: S

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)