semiglans

Semiglans is a Latin adjective used in botanical nomenclature to describe a fruit or seed form that is partially globular or semiglobose. In botanical Latin, glans refers to a nut or seed-like structure, and semi indicates partial, yielding the sense of a half-globose shape. The term is typically encountered as an epithet in species names or as a descriptive phrase within taxonomic descriptions rather than as a stand-alone taxon.

In practice, semiglans signals a morphological trait in which the fruit or seed has a rounded, globe-like part combined with a flattened or reduced portion. It has been used across various plant groups, including both herbaceous and woody taxa, to aid in distinguishing species by fruit shape. Because it is a descriptive epithet, its exact meaning can vary with the context, and it is not tied to a single taxonomic concept.

In modern taxonomic writing, many authorities favor more precise measurements and clearer descriptors, but semiglans may still appear in classical or historical treatments of plant morphology. The term also appears in discussions of seed and fruit anatomy, where it helps describe a semiglobose endocarp or seed.

See also: glans; botanical Latin; taxonomic epithets.