applicatus

Applicatus is a Latin adjective meaning "applied," "placed," or "attached," formed from the verb applicare, or "to apply." In classical Latin, the term described objects or persons that had been affixed to something or considered relevant to a task.

In modern scientific usage, applicatus (masculine), applicata (feminine), and applicatum (neuter) function as descriptive epithets in botanical and zoological nomenclature. When used in binomial names, the form must agree in gender with the genus: applicatus for masculine, applicata for feminine, and applicatum for neuter. As an epithet, it conveys a qualitative sense rather than indicating a broader taxonomic relationship, and it is not a standalone taxon name.

The semantic sense of the epithet in taxonomy is typically contextual, implying that the species or specimen bears some feature that has been “applied,” “attached,” or otherwise affixed in a notable way—for example, a grafted form, an object attached to a host, or a characteristic associated with a particular context. Because Latin adjectives in binomials must agree with the genus, the exact form used varies with the gender of the genus.

In practice, applicatus appears most often in historical or descriptive Latin passages rather than as a widely recognized, independently used taxon name. It serves as a descriptive tool within nomenclatural phrases rather than as a primary designation. See also Latin in taxonomy, taxonomic epithets, and gender agreement in scientific names.