esculentus

Esculentus is a Latin adjectival epithet used in scientific names to indicate that the organism or its edible parts are suitable for consumption. In botanical and zoological nomenclature the epithet occurs in masculine form as esculentus, in feminine as esculenta, and in neuter as esculentum. It is not a genus or species on its own, but part of a binomial or trinomial name.

Derived from Latin esca, meaning food or something to be eaten, esculentus broadly denotes edible characteristics. The use of this epithet reflects historical observations by early taxonomists that certain plants or plant parts were valued for food. Because taxonomic names are historical records, the applicability may vary with later reclassifications or new scientific insights.

Notable examples include Abelmoschus esculentus, commonly known as okra, which designates the plant with edible pods. Solanum esculentum was once the scientific name for the tomato; the species has since been reclassified as Solanum lycopersicum. Other uses occur in older or less widespread names for edible fungi or plants, though many of these names are now obsolete or replaced. The epithet does not guarantee current edibility, as taxonomic changes may alter the implied meaning over time.

Esculentus-derived epithets remain a useful historical indicator of perceived edibility in binomial nomenclature, highlighting how human use of organisms has shaped scientific naming across centuries.