supinus

The old grammarians tell us that a certain part of speech was called _supine_, because it was very seldom needed, and therefore almost always lying _on its back_ -- i.e. in Latin, _supinus_.

Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. XVI., December, 1880. Various

This plant, modified by the circumstances I have just indicated, has been regarded as a distinct species; it is the _Juncus supinus_ of

Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution His Life and Work 1872