a. [f. as prec. + -OUS.]
† 1. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of flowers; having the savor of flowers. Obs.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. vi. 97. A dry and flosculous coat [of the nutmeg], commonly called Mace. Ibid. (a. 1682), Tracts (1684), i. 25. The practice of the Ancients, in putting the dried Flowers of the Vine into new Wine to give it a pure and flosculous race or spirit.
2. Abounding with flowers, flowery. rare.
1676. in Coles.
1824. Prichard, Welsh Minstr., 13.
| Thou flosculous and fruitful fair one! | |
| The sun has wept his perish’d rare one, | |
| As weeps the heart-rent widow’d lover | |
| His chosen maid whose smiles are over. |
3. Bot. a. Composed of floscules or florets.
1783. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., vi. 68. The flosculous flowers, or such as are composed of florets only: these are also commonly of one colour.
1845. Lindley, Sch. Bot., vi. (1858), 84. Senecia…. Flowers either flosculous or radiant.
b. Of a floret: Tubular.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 198. Corymbiferæ, the florets of which are flosculous in the middle, and ligulate at the circumference.
1870. Bentley, Bot. (1887), 594. Corymbiferæ, the plants of which have either all tubular (flosculous) and perfect florets; or those of the disk (centre) tubular and perfect, and those of the ray (circumference) tubular and pistilliferous, or ligulate (radiant).
