Dentatus
/den-TAH-tus/🏷️ Taxonomy● Basic
Also known as: dentata, dentatum
A leaf margin epithet describing teeth that point outward — perpendicular to the leaf margin — rather than forward (serratus) or backward. The teeth are usually regular and blunt-tipped. One of the foundational margin descriptors in botanical Latin. Appears as dentatus (masculine), dentata (feminine), or dentatum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin dentatus, meaning "toothed," from dens/dentis (a tooth).
Example
“Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) and Cardamine dentata both have the characteristic outward-pointing, regular teeth along the leaf margin that distinguish dentate from serrate margins.”