hansenii

Hansenii is a Latin adjectival species epithet used in the scientific names of various organisms to honor individuals with the surname Hansen. It is not a taxonomic group on its own; rather, it appears in the binomial names of many distinct species across plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria, with the exact person honored varying by taxonomist and historical context. The epithet is formed in the genitive to indicate “of Hansen.”

A widely known example is Zygosaccharomyces hansenii, a yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae. This species is notable for its high osmotolerance and salt tolerance, and it is commonly found in environments rich in sugar or salt, such as jams, syrups, sauces, and other preserved foods. It can contribute to spoilage under conditions of low water activity and high sugar concentrations. Z. hansenii is typically a budding yeast and is studied in food microbiology and fermentation for its stress tolerance traits.

Beyond Zygosaccharomyces hansenii, the epithet appears in other taxa as well, reflecting a long-standing practice of naming species in honor of scientists or contributors named Hansen. Because the surname Hansen is common, the specific individual honored is not implied by the epithet alone and must be inferred from the original species description.

In nomenclature, epithets such as hansenii are used after the genus name to convey a homeness or provenance, while not altering the taxonomic rank of the organism. The usage of hansenii illustrates how Latinized epithet forms function in binomial nomenclature across diverse biological groups.