cumingii

Cumingii is a Latinized species epithet used in biological nomenclature to honor a person named Cuming. It is not a standalone taxon but rather the second part of a two-part scientific name (the binomial) assigned to individual species across different groups.

The epithet cumingii most commonly honors the British naturalist Hugh Cuming (1799–1865), whose extensive collecting travels and vast specimen holdings contributed significantly to 19th-century natural history. Because of his prominence, many newly described species across various taxa were named cumingii in his recognition. In practice, cumingii appears in zoological and botanical names and can be found in mollusks, birds, plants, insects, and other organisms described during or after Cuming’s era.

In terms of nomenclatural use, cumingii follows standard conventions for patronymic epithets in Latinized scientific names. It is treated as a masculine genitive form, indicating that the species was named in honor of a man named Cuming. When a species is moved to a different genus, the epithet usually remains cumingii, though the full name’s spelling is governed by the relevant zoological or botanical code and may vary by publication or taxonomic revision.

Because cumingii is an epithet rather than a unique taxon, there are many distinct species bearing this name in different genera. The pattern highlights how historical collectors and collectors’ networks influenced the naming and description of biodiversity, reflecting a broader practice of honoring contributors to natural history.