californicus

Californicus is a Latin adjectival epithet used in the scientific names of organisms to denote an association with California. In binomial nomenclature, it is used as the second part of a species name, and is usually assigned when the type specimen was collected in California or when the species is particularly associated with the state.

Because it is a Latin adjective, californicus must agree in gender with the genus: californicus (masculine), californica (feminine), or californicum (neuter). The epithet is not capitalized, even when referencing a place in a proper noun.

Californicus is employed across diverse groups, including plants, animals, and fungi. Its use reflects historic and ongoing taxonomic practice of linking names to geographic locales to aid identification and historical context. The presence of californicus in a name does not guarantee current confinement to California or the absence of closely related species elsewhere.

Taxonomic naming conventions vary by code (botanical vs zoological), but the basic principle—epithets convey geographic associations—applies in both. Practitioners may choose geographic epithets for descriptive purposes or to acknowledge the region where the species was first described.