dentata

Dentata is a Latin adjective meaning “toothed” or “having tooth-like projections.” In biology, it is commonly used as a species epithet to describe a characteristic of the organism. The term stems from dentatus, with dentata being the feminine form; masculine and neuter forms (dentatus and dentatum) exist to agree with the gender of the genus name.

In botanical and zoological nomenclature, dentata typically signals the presence of tooth-like features. In plants, it may refer to leaves with serrated or dentate margins, or other plant parts that show tooth-shaped projections. In animals, the epithet can indicate dentition, denticles, or similar tooth-like structures on shells, exoskeletons, or skeletal elements. The use of dentata is descriptive rather than taxonomic by itself, and does not denote a separate taxon apart from the species name.

As a species epithet, dentata appears within a binomial name alongside a genus, and the epithet agrees in gender with that genus. It is not a standalone name or a genus. The English cognate is “dentate,” used similarly to describe serrated margins or tooth-like features in a non-Latin context. See also dentition, dentate leaves, and the role of Latin grammar in scientific naming.