Fugacious

Fugacious (pronounced fyoo-gey-shuhs)

(1) Fleeting; transitory.

(2) In botany, falling or fading early.

1625–1635: From the Classical Latin fugāci- (fleeing, likely to flee), stem of fugāx (apt to flee, timid, shy) and a derivative of fugere (to flee).  The construct was fugāci- + -ous.  The –ous suffix was from the Middle English -ous, from the Old French –ous & -eux, from the Latin -ōsus (full, full of); a doublet of -ose in an unstressed position.  It was used to form adjectives from nouns, to denote possession or presence of a quality in any degree, commonly in abundance.  In chemistry, it has a specific technical application, used in the nomenclature to name chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a lower oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ic.  For example, sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H₂SO₃).  The Latin forms derived from fugiō (I flee) included fugācius, comparative of fugāciter (evasively, fleetingly).  From this root, English gained fugitive, refuge and subterfuge and the synonyms of fugacious include brief, ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, impermanent, momentary, passing, short-lived, temporal, temporary, transient.  The related forms include the adverb fugaciously and the nouns fugaciousness & fugacity.

The most fugacious of the orchids (family: Orchidaceae), the Calypso bulbosa (Calypso orchid) is categorized a spring ephemeral, flowering with the first warmth of spring, the blooms lasting but a few days.  Calypso orchids are found most often on the forest floor, popping out from a carpet of ferns and moss.  They’re often referred to by their popular names (Fairy Slipper, Lady Slipper & Venus Slipper), rarely exceed six inches (150mm) in height and are seen usually in shades of pink, white & purple, including flecked combinations.  The blue varieties are especially rare and prized by collectors.

Lindsay Lohan selfie with fugacious orchid, October, 2014.