Gallii

Gallii is a Latin-derived specific epithet used in the scientific names of organisms. In binomial nomenclature, gallii typically honors a person with the surname Gall or a similar name, and it is commonly found across various taxonomic groups in both botany and zoology.

Etymology and form: The ending -ii is a standard Latin genitive form indicating “of Gall” or “belonging to Gall,” and is used to create an epithet that commemorates a masculine personal name. The feminine form would usually be -iae, and the plural form -orum, depending on the person(s) honored and the grammatical gender of the genus. The epithet gallii is not a common descriptor of a trait or provenance; it is an eponym.

Taxonomic usage: The epithet gallii is chosen by the original describer of a species and is governed by the relevant nomenclature codes (the ICN for plants, algae, and fungi, and the ICZN for animals). Once published, the name becomes part of the formal scientific record. As with other eponymous epithets, gallii does not imply any biological characteristics beyond the honorific origin of the name.

Interpretation: When encountering a species with the epithet gallii, it is typically an attribution to a person named Gall or a related surname, rather than a description of the organism’s features. The exact individual honored can often be clarified by consulting the original species description.

See also: Taxonomic nomenclature, Latinization of personal names, genus-species naming conventions.