laciniata

Laciniata is a Latin feminine adjective used in scientific naming to describe forms that are cut into narrow divisions or fringed. It derives from laciniatus, meaning torn or lacerated, with laciniata forming the feminine epithet used in species names and occasionally in subspecies or varieties.

In taxonomy, laciniata functions as a descriptive epithet rather than a taxon in itself. It appears across a wide range of groups, especially in botany, but also in zoology and mycology. In plants, laciniata most often refers to leaves that are deeply divided into narrow segments (pinnatifid or laciniate margins). The term can also describe other plant parts with a similarly incised or fringed appearance, such as petals or bracts.

In animals and fungi, laciniata may be used to describe structures that are effectively serrated, fringed, or incised, including appendages or fronds. The exact morphology varies by species, since laciniata is a descriptive label contingent on the organism’s overall form.

Because it is a descriptor rather than a designation of a single taxon, laciniata occurs in many unrelated groups. See also laciniatus and laciniate for related uses of the root term.