intestinalis

Intestinalis is a Latin adjective used in biological nomenclature meaning “of the intestine” or “intestinal.” In taxonomic practice it is most commonly encountered as a species epithet in binomial names, denoting that the organism was isolated from the intestinal tract, gut tissue, or is otherwise associated with the intestine.

Intestinalis is not a recognized genus or higher taxon on its own. The correct formatting in standard binomial nomenclature is lowercase for the epithet, as in bacterial or fungal species names such as Bacterium intestinalis or Fungus intestinalis; capitalized forms are not used in formal naming contexts.

The epithet is used across diverse groups, including bacteria, fungi, protists, and animals. Its presence usually points to a gut-related habitat or origin, but the exact ecological role or clinical significance varies by species and must be described in the species’ formal description and accompanying literature.

Nomenclature rules for the epithet are governed by the relevant codes: the International Code of Zoological N nomenclature (ICZN) for animals, and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN) for other organisms. Latin grammar governs agreement between genus and epithet, but intestinalis itself remains a descriptive label rather than a taxonomic rank.

See also: binomial nomenclature, taxonomic epithet, Latin in taxonomy.