inarticulatus

Inarticulatus is a Latin adjective used in biological nomenclature as a species epithet, meaning unarticulated or lacking articulation. As a descriptor in taxonomic names, it is chosen to indicate that a particular organism or its structures show an absence of joints or connecting articulations that might be present in related forms. The epithet is declined to agree with the gender of the genus, appearing as inarticulatus, inarticulata, or inarticulatum depending on the taxon.

Etymology and form: the word derives from in- (not) and articulatus (articulated or jointed). In taxonomic practice, epithets function as descriptive labels rather than taxonomic ranks, and the same epithet can appear across different families or orders in unrelated groups if the describing author perceived a similar lack of articulation.

Taxonomic usage: inarticulatus is encountered in zoological and botanical naming, typically to highlight a particular morphological feature or notable characteristic noted in the original species description. It is not a taxonomic category by itself, and its meaning depends on the context provided by the taxonomic publication and the anatomy of the organism described.

Limitations: because epithets are historical and based on the author’s interpretation, the exact sense of “unarticulated” can vary. To understand what articulation is referred to in a given name, researchers should consult the original species description.

See also: taxonomic nomenclature, Latin adjectives in species names, binomial nomenclature.