Hispidus

Hispidus is a Latin-derived adjective used in scientific naming to denote a surface bearing bristles, hairs, or a rough texture. The masculine form is hispidus, the feminine form hispida, and the neuter form hispidum. The term signals a noticeable pubescence or roughness on a plant, animal, or fungal surface.

In biological nomenclature, hispidus (and its gendered variants) is commonly employed as a descriptive epithet within binomial names across plants, animals, and fungi. It indicates that the organism or a part of it has bristly hairs, setae, or a rough, spiny texture rather than being smooth.

The epithet agrees in gender with the genus: masculine genera take hispidus, feminine genera take hispida, and neuter genera take hispidum. As a descriptor, it does not define a taxonomic group by itself but rather provides information about a trait observed in the species.

Usage notes and related terms: hispidus is part of a broader set of Latin descriptors used in taxonomy to convey morphology, such as hirsutus (shaggy or hairy) and pubescens (downy). In botany, the term often refers to pubescent or bristly leaves, stems, or seeds; in zoology, it may describe bristly or rough body surfaces.

See also: Hirsute, Pubescence, Latin binomial nomenclature.