atropurpurea

Atropurpurea is a Latin adjectival epithet used in the scientific names of organisms, principally flowering plants, to indicate a dark purple coloration. The name combines at(o)r- meaning dark or black and purpurea meaning purple, reflecting a characteristic hue of the plant or its parts.

In botanical nomenclature, epithets must agree in gender with the genus name. Consequently, atropurpurea is used with feminine genera, while masculine and neuter forms of the epithet—atropurpureus and atropurpureum, respectively—appear with corresponding gendered genera. The epithet does not designate a taxon by itself; rather, it describes a trait of the organism described in the species name.

The usage of atropurpurea is largely descriptive and color-based. It commonly appears in taxonomic records and horticultural literature for species whose flowers, fruits, or foliage exhibit a deep purple shade, potentially approaching near-black purple in some individuals or populations. Because color can vary with environment and genetics, the presence of the epithet in a name typically signals that the describer observed a distinctly dark purple feature.

As a general principle, atropurpurea is one of many color-based epithets used in plant taxonomy to convey visible traits. It exemplifies how Latin descriptors remain integral to the binomial system, aiding recognition and communication across genera and families.

See also: Latin binomial nomenclature, color terminology in taxonomy, plant epithets.

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