glabrum

Glabrum is a Latin adjective used in the scientific names of organisms to denote a lack of hair or a smooth, glabrous surface. In taxonomic practice, it appears as the species epithet in binomial names across a wide range of plants and animals. The word derives from Latin glaber, meaning bald or bare; in Latin grammar glabrum is the neuter singular form, with glabra (feminine) and glaber (masculine) used for other gendered genera. Thus the form of the epithet agrees with the genus name.

As an epithet, glabrum describes a characteristic rather than a taxon. It commonly indicates that a plant or animal part is hairless or smooth, such as leaves, stems, fruits, skin, or scales. It does not imply familiarity with a single lineage; many unrelated species in different genera may bear the epithet glabrum.

In practice, glabrum is one of many Latin descriptors used in botanical and zoological nomenclature to convey a particular morphology. When encountered in a species name, it can be informative about the surface texture or ornamentation of the organism, but it does not by itself identify a species or its relationships. The English equivalent is glabrous, and related Latin epithets may describe opposite features, such as pubescens for hairy textures.