alata

Alata is the feminine form of the Latin adjective alatus, meaning winged or having wings. In biological nomenclature, alata is widely used as a species epithet to describe wing-like features or structures, and it agrees in gender with the genus name. The masculine form alatus and the neuter form alatum are used with masculine or neuter genera, respectively.

In botany, alata often refers to plant parts that bear wings or wing-like extensions, such as winged petioles, winged stems, or winged fruits. In zoology and entomology, the epithet can indicate organisms that have visible wings or wing-like appendages, or feature a winged form in some life stage. The exact referent varies by taxon and species.

The term is not a taxon by itself but a descriptive epithet appearing in many species names across plants and animals. It is related to the English word alate and to other Latin epithets such as alatus or alatum. As with other descriptive epithets, its usage depends on the characteristics observed in the particular genus or species being described.