quaternate

American  

[kwot-er-neyt, kwuh-tur-nit] / ˈkwɒt ərˌneɪt, kwəˈtɜr nɪt /

adjective

1. arranged in or consisting of four parts, as the leaves of certain plants.

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Etymology

Origin of quaternate

1745–55; < Latin quatern ( ī ) four at a time + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

They perform the same functions and bear spicules, sometimes in pairs, sometimes quaternate, each spicule being surmounted by a spore.

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas

In the flowering period I selected four plants with the largest number of quaternate and quinate leaves and destroyed all the others.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de

I have often seen isolated plants with quaternate leaves, but only rarely have I observed individuals with more than one such leaf.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de

For brevity's sake all these cleft and ternate, double cleft and quaternate cotyledons and even the higher grades are combined under one common name and indicated as tricotyls.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de

A species of cinquefoil, Potentilla Tormentilla, which is distinguished by its quaternate flowers, occurs in Holland in two distinct types, which have proved constant in my cultural experiments.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de