Frutex, fruticis, pen. cor. mas. gen. Plin. A shrubbe: an hearbe hauing a great stemme or stalke.Frutex crassa radice. Plin. Genus omne fruticum.Virg.Nefasti frutices. Plin. Buxeus frutex. Col. Oleraceus frutex. Plin. Frutex, Arboris nomen in Phrygia. Pli. Frutex lupini succisus Plin.Inula vastos facit frutices. Plin.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
frŭtex, ĭcis, m. (fem.: Nilotica, Mart. Cap. 3, 225) [prob. kindr. with bru/w, to sprout forth], a shrub, bush (cf. arbor). I.Lit.: ex surculo vel arbor procedit, ut olea, ficus, pirus; vel frutex, ut violae, rosae, arundines; vel tertium quiddam, quod neque arborem neque fruticem proprie dixerimus, sicuti est vitis, Col. Arb. 1, 2; Col. 8, 15, 5; Plin. 16, 36, 64, 156; Ov. A. A. 3, 249; Petr. 135: numerosus, Plin. 18, 24, 55, 199: olerum, Col. 11, 3, 63: lupini, id. 2, 14, 5: sucus fruticis recentis, Plin. 23, 3, 35, 71: frutices inter membra condebant, Lucr. 5, 956: his genus omne silvarum fruticumque viret, Verg. G. 2, 21: in montuosis locis et fruticibus, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 16; collect. in the sing.: venari asello comite cum vellet leo, Contexit illum frutice, Phaedr. 1, 11, 4.—II.Transf.A. Perh., the lower part of the stem of a tree, the trunk: quercus antiqua singulos repente ramos a frutice dedit, Suet. Vesp. 5 (al. radice).—B. As a term of reproach, like caudex, stipes, blockhead: nec veri simile loquere nec verum, frutex, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 13 Lorenz (Ritschl, rupex); App. Mag. p. 317; v. Oud. ad h. l.