surculus

1. Rami and ramalia are the boughs of a tree; rami (from ῥάκος) the living, green boughs, θαλλοί; ramalia, the withered dry boughs. Whereas virga, termes, turio, surculus, talea, sarmentum, and stolo, are only twigs; virga, and the words of rare occurrence, termes olivæ, and turio lauri, without any accessory reference, like κλάδος, κλών, κλῆμα; surculus and talea as members and offspring of the tree, which as scions and shoots should be subservient to the parent-stock, like ὀρσός; sarmentum and stolo, as mere off-shoots of the tree, are set aside, and cast away; sarmentum (from sarpere, ἅρπη,) as a completely useless twig; stolo, as at the same time an injurious sucker. 2. Virgultum is a place grown over with bushes, and not bare; fruticetum (from frutices) a place grown over with shrubs, and not passable. (v. 283.)