hyalinus

Hyalinus is a Latin adjective used in scientific names to denote a glassy, translucent, or clear appearance. It is not a genus or a species on its own, but rather a descriptor that appears as part of binomial names across various groups, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Etymology: The term derives from the Greek hyalos meaning glass and the Latin suffix -inus, forming an adjective that roughly means “glass-like” or “resembling glass.”

Usage in taxonomy: In practice, hyalinus appears in species epithets to indicate transparent membranes, tissues, or other transparent features observed by the describer. The exact meaning can vary by taxon, and the presence of hyalinus does not imply a close evolutionary relationship among all organisms bearing the epithet; it reflects a shared observable trait.

Taxonomic status: There is no widely recognized taxon that uses Hyalinus as a standalone genus or principal species name in contemporary taxonomy. When encountered in older literature, it may represent an outdated designation, a synonym, or a misidentification. Modern databases and taxonomic resources typically treat hyalinus as an epithet within valid genera rather than as an independent taxon. Verification against authoritative catalogs (such as IPNI for plants, ITIS or WoRMS for animals, and NCBI for microbes) is recommended when encountering the term in scientific names.

See also: hyaline; list of Latin adjectives used in taxonomy.