Angusta

Angusta is a Latin adjective meaning narrow or slender. In scientific nomenclature, angusta is used as a descriptive epithet in taxonomic names to signal a narrowed or slender characteristic of the organism, organ, or habit being described. The term appears across many biological groups, and may function as a species epithet, subspecies, variety, or cultivar epithet depending on the naming code governing the taxon.

The form angusta is feminine singular; masculine is angustus and neuter angustum, reflecting agreement with the gender of the genus or higher taxon name. Because it is a general descriptive term rather than a taxonomic rank, its exact meaning is context-dependent and varies from one taxon to another.

In practice, angusta is encountered in botany, zoology, mycology, and other fields whenever a describer wishes to highlight a slender or narrowed feature. In plants it may refer to narrow leaves, stems, or inflorescences, while in animals it can describe a slim body, appendages, or other elongated morphology. In other organisms, the epithet similarly denotes a relatively slender or constrained form compared with related taxa.

As a commonly used descriptive epithet, angusta does not convey phylogenetic relationships; it only indicates a morphological characteristic noted at the time of naming. Taxonomic revisions can change a name regardless of the original epithet, but the descriptive sense inferred by angusta typically remains tied to a narrower or more slender trait within the group.