Polyphyllus

Polyphyllus is a Latin adjectival epithet used in the scientific names of plants. It literally means “many-leaved,” derived from Greek polys (“many”) and phyllon (“leaf”).

In botanical nomenclature, epithets like polyphyllus are the second part of binomials and must agree in gender with the genus name. The ending -us is masculine; corresponding forms appear as -a or -um with feminine or neuter genera.

The epithet is descriptive, not taxonomic; it indicates a morphological feature rather than a taxonomic lineage. As a result, polyphyllus occurs in numerous species across different genera and families, and there is no single taxon named Polyphyllus.

Current references do not commonly recognize Polyphyllus as a valid genus. Rather, the epithet appears in historical and contemporary species descriptions, especially in horticultural or regional floras. When identifying a plant with this epithet, researchers should consult authoritative databases such as IPNI or The Plant List for current status.