Sinuatus
/sin-yoo-AH-tus/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: sinuata, sinuatum
A leaf margin epithet describing a deeply wavy or undulating edge — with broader, rounder indentations than the teeth of serratus or dentatus, creating an irregular, wave-like outline. Distinct from crenatus (shallow rounded waves). Appears as sinuatus (masculine), sinuata (feminine), or sinuatum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin sinuatus, past participle of sinuare (to wind, to curve), from sinus (a curve, fold, bay).
Example
“Quercus sinuata (bastard oak) and Isatis sinuata both have the characteristic deeply wavy or lobed leaf margins that the epithet records — margins that curve in and out without the regularity of true teeth.”