Glossary of scientific naming


This is a list of terms and symbols used in scientific names for organisms, and in describing the names. For proper parts of the names themselves, see List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names. Many of the abbreviations are used with or without a stop.

Naming standards and taxonomic organizations and their codes and taxonomies

The main ranks are kingdom, phylum or division, class, order, family, genus and species. The ranks of section and series are also used in botany for groups within genera, while section is used in zoology for a division of an order. Further levels in the hierarchy can be made by the addition of prefixes such as sub-, super-, infra-, and so on.
Divisions such as "morph", "form", "variety", "strain", "breed", "cultivar", hybrid and "landrace" are used to describe various sub-specific groups in different fields.
It is possible for a clade to be unranked, for example Psoroptidia and the SAR supergroup. Sometimes a rank is described as clade where the traditional hierarchy cannot accommodate it.

Latin descriptions of names or taxa

In zoology the English descriptions, such as "conserved name", for example, are acceptable and generally used. These descriptions can be classified between accepted names and unaccepted combinations for different reasons, with some cases in between regarding the use.
  • Candidatus – a taxon proposed from incomplete information, such as uncultured bacteria known from metagenomics
  • ex errore – made in error
  • incertae sedis – of uncertain placement
  • nomen alternativum – an alternative name, as for certain plant families
  • nomen conservandum – a conserved name
  • nomen dubium – a name of questionable application
  • * nomen ambiguum, a name that has been used with more than one meaning
  • * nomen confusum, a name based on a mixed bacterial culture
  • * nomen perplexum, a name confusingly similar to another name or names
  • * nomen periculosum, a name which can lead to dangerous outcomes, through confusion
  • nomen erratum – a name given in error
  • nomen illegitimum – an illegitimate name
  • nomen invalidum – an invalid name
  • nomen manuscriptum – a name that appears in a manuscript
  • nomen monstrositatum – a name based on a monstrosity
  • nomen novum – a replacement name
  • nomen nudum – a name published without an accompanying description
  • nomen oblitum – a name which has been overlooked and is no longer valid
  • nomen protectum – a name granted protection
  • nomen rejiciendum – a name that has been rejected and cannot be used
  • nomen subnudum – A species that was published with a description, but not detailed enough to describe it. Similar to nomen nudum.
  • nomen superfluum - "superfluous name"
  • nomen suppressum – a name that has been suppressed and cannot be used
  • nomen vanum – not a useful term, has been used to mean either a nomen dubium, or an invalid change in spelling, better called an unjustified emendation
  • nomina circumscribentia, a name derived from its circumscription
  • partim, indicates that a taxon was split and contains only a part of the original entity.
  • species inquirenda, a species of doubtful identity requiring further investigation

    Latin abbreviations

Common Latin abbreviations

  • cf.: confer; literally 'compare', indicates approximate placement
  • f.: forma; 'form'
  • nothovar.: nothovarietas; 'bastard variety'; a hybrid variety
  • nob.: nobis: 'by us'; indicates the writers are/writer is the authority of a scientific name
  • p.p.: pro parte; 'for part'
  • pro syn.: pro synonymo; 'as synonym'
  • sensu auct.: sensu auctorum; 'in the sense of the author'; generally referring to an invalid usage
  • s.l.: sensu lato; 'in the broad/loose sense'
  • sp. : species
  • sp. nov. : species nova : 'new species'
  • s.s.: sensu stricto; 'in the strict/narrow/precise sense'
  • ssp. : subspecies
  • subf.: subforma; 'subform'
  • subsp. : subspecies
  • subvar.: subvarietas; 'subvariety'
  • var.: varietas; 'variety'