Prolifera
Prolifera is a Latin feminine adjective used in biological nomenclature as a species epithet in binomial names. The term derives from prolifer-, from Latin proliferare meaning to multiply; prolifera roughly translates as prolific or proliferating. In taxonomic practice, prolifera does not refer to a distinct taxon; rather it modifies a genus name to form the species name. Because Latin adjectives must agree in gender and number with the genus, prolifera is the feminine form; masculine and neuter forms would be proliferus and proliferum, respectively.
Usage and scope: The epithet prolifera appears across a range of taxa, including plants, animals, fungi, and
interpretation: As with many descriptive epithets, prolifera conveys a characteristic rather than any independent taxonomic rank.
See also: Latin in scientific naming, species epithet, taxonomy.