dilatera

Dilatera is a Latin-derived term used in biological descriptions to denote features occurring on two sides. The word is composed of di- ('two') and latus ('side'), and it is commonly used as an epithet or descriptive adjective in taxonomic and morphological notes rather than as a formal taxon by itself.

Usage in botany: In botanical descriptions, dilatera describes plant parts that are two-lobed or arranged along two lateral positions. It can appear in keys and floras to distinguish forms with bilateral, paired features, such as leaves with two lateral lobes or flowers with two prominent lateral lobes. The term emphasizes symmetry or paired structure rather than taxonomic rank.

Usage in zoology: In zoological morphology and older taxonomic literature, dilatera may be used to indicate bilateral symmetry and two lateral appendages or processes. It is typically found in diagnostic phrases rather than as a genus or species name.

Taxonomic status: There is no widely recognized genus by that exact name in contemporary taxonomic databases; when the term appears in taxonomic literature, it is usually a descriptive descriptor rather than evidence of a formal classification.

See also: bilateral symmetry; morphology descriptors; Latin epithets in taxonomy.