clarissimum

Clarissimum is a Latin superlative adjective used in scientific naming as a species epithet. In taxonomic practice, such epithets are appended to a genus name to form a binomial or trinomial, and clarissimum specifically signals a neuter gender agreement with the corresponding genus. The form indicates “the most clear,” “the most bright,” or more figuratively “the most notable,” and it may reference a characteristic of the organism such as color, translucence, or overall conspicuousness.

Etymologically, clarissimum derives from clarus, meaning clear, bright, or famous, with the Latin superlative suffix -issimus. Since Latin adjectives agree in gender with the noun they modify, the epithet appears in masculine (clarissimus), feminine (clarissima), or neuter (clarissimum) forms depending on the genus name’s gender.

In use, clarissimum as an epithet is encountered across botanical and zoological nomenclature. It does not describe a universal trait of all members of a genus but rather highlights a particular attribute of the species described by the author of the name. Because taxonomic names are fixed and historic, the same epithet can occur in different taxa that happen to share a comparable characteristic, even though the specific feature may differ contextually.

Notes on interpretation are commonly found in the original descriptions, where authors justify the choice of epithet. As with other Latin epithets, codified gender agreement and proper Latin grammar govern its publication in scientific names.