Chinensis

Chinensis is a Latinized epithet used in the scientific names of organisms to indicate that a species or subspecies is associated with China. It appears as the second part of a binomial name in both zoological and botanical nomenclature.

The epithet derives from China, with the Latin suffix -ensis indicating origin or locality. As with other Latin adjectives in species names, chinensis is written in lower case and is joined to the genus name to form a species name.

Its use reflects historical geographic associations, but it is not a reliable indicator of current distribution. Some taxa bearing the epithet chinensis may be found outside China, or the type locality may refer to a broader region or to collecting practices of the era. Other taxa from China may use different locality-based epithets, such as sinensis, depending on the taxonomist and the group.

In taxonomy, chinensis is one of many geographic descriptors used in naming species; it does not convey information about morphology or ecology.