Defn: Slit; cleft. [Obs. & R.]
SPINIFEROUS Spi*nif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. spinifer; spina thorn + ferre to produce.]
Defn: Producing spines; bearing thorns or spines; thorny; spiny.
SPINIFEX
Spin"i*fex, n. [NL.; L. spina spine + facere to make.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of chiefly Australian grasses, the seeds of which bear an elastic spine. S. hirsutus (black grass) and S. longifolius are useful as sand binders. S. paradoxusis a valuable perennial fodder plant. Also, a plant of this genus.
2. Any of several Australian grasses of the genus Tricuspis, which often form dense, almost impassable growth, their leaves being stiff and sharp-pointed.
SPINIFORM
Spin"i*form, a.
Defn: Shaped like a spine.
SPINIGEROUS
Spi*nig"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. spiniger; spina spine + gerere to bear.]
Defn: Bearing a spine or spines; thorn-bearing.