martensii

Martensii is a Latinized species epithet used in the scientific names of various organisms to honor a person named Martens. The form is the genitive case of the surname, effectively meaning “of Martens” or “Martens’s.” In zoological and botanical naming, such epithets are intended to recognize individuals who contributed to the discovery, collection, or description of a taxon. Eduard von Martens, a 19th‑century German‑Russian zoologist, is a well-known figure after whom several organisms have been named, though the exact honoree is indicated in each species’ original description.

The construction follows the rules of nomenclatural codes: the ending is typically chosen to reflect gender or linguistic conventions, with options such as -i or -ii for male honorees, -ae for female honorees, and -orum for multiple honorees, among others. The epithet is not capitalized and remains in lowercase within the binomial name.

Because martensii is a common epithet, it appears across multiple taxonomic groups and kingdoms. The same spelling can arise independently in different lineages, which means that each occurrence requires consultation of the original taxonomic publication to determine the precise honoree and context. In practice, the epithet serves as a tribute within the scientific naming tradition, linking a species to historical figures associated with its discovery or study.