Stricta

Stricta is a Latin adjective commonly used as a specific epithet in the scientific names of many organisms. Its feminine form stricta agrees with feminine or feminine-gendered Latin nouns, and it derives from strictus, meaning tight, close, straight, or upright. In taxonomic practice, stricta is typically applied to species whose morphology or habit is notably stiff, erect, or compact. This descriptive approach can refer to characteristics such as rigid leaves, upright stems, or dense inflorescences, though the exact rationale varies by organism group and author.

Because stricta is a widely used epithet across diverse lineages, it appears in many genera and across plant and animal taxa. The term functions descriptively rather than taxonomically, and it does not denote a relationship among the species that share it. When researching taxa that bear the epithet stricta, it is important to rely on the full binomial name and the taxonomic authority to distinguish among unrelated species that happen to share the same epithet.

In botanical and zoological nomenclature, epithets like stricta reflect historical descriptive practices rather than modern phylogenetic categories. As such, the presence of stricta in a species name points to a perceived morphological or ecological trait observed by the namer, rather than indicating a single taxonomic group or lineage.