epithet for "coastal plain"

[Mark A. Garland]

On Wed, May 01, 2002 at 10:08:39AM -0400, Susan B. Farmer wrote:

> I have a friend who is looking at a potential new taxon, and he was
> wondering if there was an epithet meaning "coastal plain."  Many
> of the other taxa in this complex are geographically named, and
> he wanted to follow suit.  I told him that I would query this group.
> (I'm not a Latin Scholar, and wouldn't know how to begin to coin
> the latin from "coast" and "plain" if that would even then convey
> the same sense.

Do you *have* to say *coastal* plain?  If it's not growing at the
coast, "littoralis" might be misleading. "Coastal" is being used in
such a broad geographical sense in the English phrase that I don't
think there's an accurate Latin translation.  Maybe "maritimus".

Really, how many plains are there in South Carolina?  I think you can
leave out the "coastal" and say "campestris", but that might imply
"field."  Maybe "planorum" or "planitiarum," meaning "of the plains"?

Nah, go with campestris. From Lewis & Short's Latin dictionary--note
particularly the "opp[osite of] montanus [of mountains] and collinus
[of hills]".

campester (campestris , Cato ap. Prisc. p. 696 P.; Col. 3, 13, 8; 7,
2, 3; 3, 14, 1, is suspicious; v. Schneid. ad h. l.), tris, tre,
adj. [id.] .

I. Of or pertaining to a level field, even, flat, level, champaign,
opp. montanus and collinus; cf. Liv. 10, 2, 5; 40, 38, 2; 40, 53, 3
al.: tria genera simplicia agrorum campestre, collinum et montanum,
Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 2 : campester locus, id. ib. § 6; cf.: vineae
collinae et campestres, Col. 12, 21, 1 : resina, Plin. 24, 6, 22, § 34
: acer, id. 16, 15, 26, § 67 al. : locus, Col. 3, 13, 8 : pars, id. 1,
2, 3 . situs, id. 7, 2, 3: sationes, id. 11, 3, 21 : positio, id. 1,
2, 4 : culta, Plin. 25, 5, 18, § 39 : campestres ac demissi loci,
Caes. B. G. 7, 72 : iter, id. B. C. 1, 66 ; Liv. 21, 32, 6: vici,
id. 40, 58, 2 : urbs, id. 23, 45, 10 . oppidum, id. 27, 39, 12:
barbari,dwelling in plains, id. 39, 53, 13 ; cf. Scythae, Hor C. 3,
24, 9: hostis,fighting on a plain, Liv. 22, 18, 3 al. --

Mark Garland
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, Mail Station 2500
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400