complicatum

Complicatum is a Latin adjective used in biological nomenclature as the neuter form of complicatus, meaning "complicated" or "intricate." It derives from complicare, “to fold together.” In taxonomy, complicatum appears as a specific epithet in the scientific name of a species, serving as a descriptive tag rather than indicating a rank or lineage by itself. As with other epithets, complicatum is not a genus name.

Grammar and usage: In zoological and botanical nomenclature, adjectives must agree in gender with the generic name. Complicatum is the neuter form, used with neuter genera; masculine is complicatus and feminine complicata. The epithet is chosen by the author and may reflect a perceived trait such as a complex morphology, nested structures, or intricate venation, but it is not a formal diagnostic criterion and may be historical or conventional.

Scope and notes: The epithet occurs across diverse taxa, including plants and animals, and may be employed independently by different authors for unrelated taxa. Because species names can be reclassified, the presence of complicatum in one combination does not imply the same trait in other taxa bearing similar epithets. For researchers, the epithet “complicatum” should be read as a qualitative descriptor tied to a particular description in the original publication.