cattleianus

Cattleianus is not the name of a recognized genus or species by itself. In taxonomy, cattleianus is an adjectival species epithet used in scientific names across plants and animals. It is formed with the suffix -ianus, a common Latinized ending in binomials to indicate origin, association, or patronym. The stem cattlei- may derive from a proper noun, possibly a surname such as Cattle, or from an intended link to cattle, though the exact meaning depends on the taxon and its etymology.

In practice, cattleianus appears as the second part of a binomial, following the genus name. It does not in isolation refer to a single organism; rather it denotes that the species has some relationship that the namer chose to encode, whether honoring a person or indicating ecological or morphological association. Taxonomic entries vary and the interpretation can differ between groups and descriptions.

Because such epithets are used across taxa and are not standardized beyond the linguistic convention, researchers rely on the full binomial and the original description to understand the intended meaning. Etymology may point to a commemorative origin or to a notable characteristic of the species.

See also: Binomial nomenclature, Species epithet, Patronyms in taxonomy.