a. Now Bot. [ad. mod.L. spadiceus, f. L. spādīc-, spādīz SPADIX.]
1. Of a reddish or brownish color.
Applied to various shades by different writers.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 167. Of those five [horns] which Scaliger beheld, though one spadiceous, or of a light red, and two inclining to red.
1678. Ray, Willughbys Ornith., III. ii. § 16. 371. The Wings are of a dark spadiceous colour.
1683. Salmon, Doron Med., II. 350. An oyl of a spadicious [sic] or light red color.
1871. W. A. Leighton, Lichen-Flora, 124. Under-surface black or spadiceous towards the margins.
1887. W. Phillips, Brit. Discomycetes, 376. Hymenium milk-white, farinose, becoming spadiceous.
2. Having the nature or form of a spadix.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., I. xix. (1765), 52. A Spadiceous aggregate Flower is, when there is a Receptacle common to many Florets placed within a Spatha or Sheathe.
1793. Martyn, Lang. Bot., s.v. Spadix, A spadiceous flower. A sort of aggregate flower [etc.].
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 252. As many of them are arranged in a spadix, and as most of them have a distinct tendency to that kind of inflorescence, the form is called Spadiceous.
1858. A. Irvine, Handbk. Brit. Plants, 280. The following Orders have the common character of spadiceous, and generally spathaceous inflorescence.