Spinulosus
/spy-nyoo-LOH-sus/🏷️ Taxonomy●●● Advanced
Also known as: spinulosa, spinulosum
A morphological epithet indicating the plant is armed with numerous small, fine spines or prickles — diminutive versions of the larger spines implied by spinosus. Plants with this epithet are typically less aggressively armed but still noticeably prickly to the touch. Appears as spinulosus (masculine), spinulosa (feminine), or spinulosum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin spina (thorn, spine) + -ulus (diminutive suffix) + -osus (full of), meaning "full of little spines."
Example
“Dryopteris spinulosa (spinulose wood fern) carries fine, pointed teeth on its frond segments that give the finely-armed texture from which the epithet derives.”