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Lucidus

/LOO-sih-dus/
🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate

Also known as: lucida, lucidum

A surface and light epithet describing something bright, shining, or luminous — implying a more radiant, light-emitting quality than the simple polish of nitidus. It can apply to glossy leaves that seem to glow, or pale, translucent flowers. Appears as lucidus (masculine), lucida (feminine), or lucidum (neuter).

Etymology

From Latin lucidus, meaning "full of light," "bright," or "shining," from lux/lucis (light).

Example

Ligustrum lucidum (glossy privet) and Lonicera nitida carry epithets from the same luminous vocabulary, and Ganoderma lucidum (the medicinal reishi mushroom) has the characteristic high-gloss surface both epithets describe.

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