Cylindraceus

Cylindraceus is a Latin-derived epithet used in biological nomenclature to indicate a cylindrical shape. In zoological and botanical naming, adjectives are Latinized and must agree in gender with the generic name, so cylindraceus is the masculine form used with masculine genera, cylindracea with feminine genera, and cylindraceum with neuter genera. The form cylindraceus, by itself, is therefore not a standalone genus name but a descriptive adjective that may appear in species names across different groups.

There is no widely recognized genus named Cylindraceus in major taxonomic databases; rather, cylindraceus commonly appears as a specific epithet in species names. As such, it has been applied in diverse taxa—plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms—to signal cylindrical morphology of a notable feature, such as a stem, seed, spore, body segment, or other structure. The exact meaning and importance of the cylindrical characteristic depend on the organism and the context provided in the original description.

Because epithet usage is tied to the morphology described by the taxonomist, the term alone provides limited information about evolutionary relationships. To determine the taxonomic placement and properties of a species bearing the epithet cylindraceus, one must consult the formal species description, taxonomic revisions, and relevant literature.

See also: Latin grammar in biological nomenclature; list of Latin adjectives used in taxonomy.