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Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom

Bit of an odd question, but what does 'mollis' signify as part of a botanical name? I have a few plants with this in the name e.g. Alchemilla, Acanthus, Hamamelis. Is it an adjective, or a name of a person or place? Can anyone help?




Answers

 

i was led to believe it was to do with a place in austria/switzerland. like japonica for japan.

may well be wrong and not at all an odd question just an odd woman trying to answer you. :o)

25 Jan, 2012

 

Just looked it up and discovered it means soft,gentle to touch.Soft hairy leaves.
No wonder my wife never belives me after I`ve come in moaning that I`ve been attacked from behind by the prickly Bears Breeches!

25 Jan, 2012

 

Well, A. mollis is a far different thing from A spinosus, Fidget! : )

25 Jan, 2012

 

Ah, now, I should have gone to the Latin Dictionary. And there it is with a bundle of meanings from 'soft' to 'flexible' among others. All makes sense now. Thanks for helping.

25 Jan, 2012

 

There`s a big clue in the name somewhere isn`t there?

I`ll report back when i`ve found it : )

And to think I was once nicknamed Razor!Only once tho`!

25 Jan, 2012

 

Pretty sure the melis in Hamamelis means sweet/honey. Diabetes mellitus means to pass through honey water - i.e. urine that has sugar in it, which is why you get urine tests. Mollis does mean smooth however.

25 Jan, 2012

 

I daresay it comes from the same Latin stem, but in Italian, "molla" is a spring, or a coil, "molle" means loose, slack, moist, squishy, weak, flabby, sodden, soft.
Take your pick.

25 Jan, 2012

 

Mollify means to smooth things over. There's a clue in that word.

26 Jan, 2012

 

Thanks, everyone. Sorted!

26 Jan, 2012

How do I say thanks?

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