acutifolius

Acutifolius is a Latin descriptive epithet used in the scientific naming of plants. It indicates that the species has sharp or acutely pointed leaves. The term is not itself a taxon; rather, it appears as the second part of a binomial name (the specific epithet) and must agree in gender with the genus name: acutifolius (masculine), acutifolia (feminine), or acutifolium (neuter).

Etymology: derived from Latin acutus meaning sharp and folius (related to leaves), together describing leaf morphology.

In botanical nomenclature, acutifolius is widely used across diverse plant groups to highlight a characteristic leaf shape and is not restricted to any single family. The epithet is chosen by the describing authority and can apply to both wild species and those subsequently reclassified. Because it is a descriptive epithet, different species with this name are only loosely related by virtue of the similarity in leaf form rather than by phylogenetic affiliation.

They are used only as part of the species’ scientific name, and do not stand alone as a genus or higher taxon. The same or similar epithets may appear in many genera, so care is required when comparing species solely on the basis of the epithet.