Gregorii

Gregorii is a Latinized species epithet used in biological nomenclature to honor individuals named Gregor, most commonly Gregor Mendel. The ending -ii indicates a masculine patronym and is typically drawn from the Latin genitive form of the honoree’s name. In botanical and zoological codes, names formed from personal names are often treated as nouns in apposition, so gregorii does not usually decline to agree with the genus.

Usage and scope: The epithet gregorii appears across plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as part of a binomial name. It signifies that the species was named to honor a person named Gregor; the honoree can be a scientist, explorer, or contributor to the field. Because gregorii is a patronymic epithet, there is no single species universally associated with it; many unrelated taxa may bear the epithet in different genera.

Etymology and alternatives: The form gregorii reflects the Latin genitive of the given name Gregor and conveys “of Gregor.” When a female honoree is used, Latinized forms such as gregoriae may be employed according to the rules of the nomenclature code in force for plants or animals.

See also: Taxonomic nomenclature, Patronym, Latinization, Mendel.