Sativum

Sativum is a Latin adjective used in botanical nomenclature to indicate a cultivated or domesticated form of a plant. It is part of the scientific name of a species or subspecies and signals that the plant is the cultivated counterpart of a wild ancestor. The form sativum is neuter, and the epithet can vary in gender to match the genus, with sativus (masculine) and sativa (feminine) also common in plant names.

In practice, sativum appears in the names of some cultivated plants where the genus is neuter. Examples include Lepidium sativum, known as garden cress. Other cultivated plant names use the masculine form sativus, as in Cucumis sativus (cucumber) or Daucus carota subsp. sativus (cultivated carrot). The feminine form sativa is seen in genera where the name is feminine, such as Lactuca sativa (cultivated lettuce). The exact epithet chosen depends on the gender of the genus rather than reflecting a universal rule about cultivation.

The epithet sativum thus functions as a marker of domestication or horticultural use within the broader system of botanical nomenclature. It does not denote a separate taxon by itself but rather a cultivated variant within a species or subspecies. Naming conventions can vary by taxonomic treatment, so cultivated forms may be placed in different ranks (species, subspecies, or varieties) depending on the authority or classification system.

See also: botanical nomenclature, species epithet, cultivar, taxonomy.