Spectabilis

Spectabilis is an adjective used in biological nomenclature as a species epithet. In zoological and botanical names it is employed to denote that the taxon is notable, conspicuous, or remarkable in some regard.

Etymology: The term derives from Latin spectabilis, formed from spectare “to look at” and the suffix -abilis, roughly translating to “worthy of observation” or “able to be observed.”

Taxonomic usage: It is not a taxonomic rank; rather it functions as a descriptive epithet within the binomial name. Epithets like spectabilis are common in both historic and modern classifications across diverse groups.

Scope: The epithet appears in many taxa, including plants, birds, insects, and other organisms. It is chosen to highlight conspicuous coloration, size, morphology, or behavior that distinguishes the taxon from related forms.

Nomenclature notes: In printed names, spectabilis is written in lowercase and is not capitalized. Its use follows standard nomenclatural conventions of the relevant codes (such as the ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants), which govern how epithets are formed and applied in species names.

See also: binomial nomenclature; Latin adjectives in taxonomy.