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

General terms

Types

Rank names

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 metagenomicsex errore – made in errorincertae sedis – of uncertain placementnomen alternativum – an alternative name, as for certain plant familiesnomen conservandum – a conserved namenomen 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 confusionnomen erratum – a name given in errornomen illegitimum – an illegitimate namenomen invalidum – an invalid namenomen manuscriptum – a name that appears in a manuscriptnomen monstrositatum – a name based on a monstrosity nomen novum – a replacement namenomen nudum – a name published without an accompanying descriptionnomen oblitum – a name which has been overlooked and is no longer validnomen protectum – a name granted protectionnomen rejiciendum – a name that has been rejected and cannot be usednomen 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 usednomen vanum – not a useful term, has been used to mean either a nomen dubium, or an invalid change in spelling, better called an unjustified emendationnomina circumscribentia, a name derived from its circumscriptionpartim, 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 placementf.: forma; 'form' nothovar.: nothovarietas; 'bastard variety'; a hybrid varietynob.: nobis: 'by us'; indicates the writers are/writer is the authority of a scientific namep.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 usages.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'

Latin abbreviations relating to novelty

These abbreviations indicate taxonomic novelty—newly identified or newly classified taxa.comb. nov.: combinatio nova: 'new combination' – used when a species is moved to a different genusgen. et sp. nov.: genus et species nova: a new genus and a new species described simultaneously gen. et comb. nov.: genus et combinatio nova: a new genus and a new combination, often when a species is transferred into a newly erected genusgen., sp. et comb. nov.: genus, species et combinatio nova: indicates that a genus is newly described, a species is newly described, and an existing name is reassigned gen. nov. : genus novum : 'new genus'gen. nov. et 2 spp. nov.: informal shorthand meaning a new genus and two new species; not standard Latin, but occasionally seen in summaries or abstractsnom. nov.: nomen novum: 'new name' – used to replace a preoccupied or otherwise invalid namesp. nov. : species nova : 'new species'subsp. nov.: subspecies nova: 'new subspecies'

English abbreviations

bot. - botanyzoo. - zoology

Symbols

× : cross; indicates a hybrid† : extinct+ : graft or chimera; indicates a graft chimera- : invalid name= : heterotypic synonym≡ : homotypic synonym