meridionalis

Meridionalis is a Latin adjective meaning "of the south" and is commonly used in biological nomenclature as a species epithet in binomial names. In zoology, botany, and microbiology, meridionalis is attached to a genus name to indicate a southern distribution or origin, often contrasted with septentrionalis ("of the north") or borealis in some contexts. It is not a standalone name, but a descriptive epithet that helps convey geographic information within a scientific name.

Origin and form: The term derives from Latin meridionalis, from meridies meaning "south" or "the south," with the suffix -alis indicating an adjectival function. In zoological and botanical names, adjectives typically agree in gender with the genus, so the exact ending can vary to match the gender of the genus name.

Usage and interpretation: The epithet signals geographic proximity to southern regions, whether within a continent or in the southern hemisphere. Taxonomists use such geographic epithets to convey distributional information, often alongside other diagnostic traits that define the species.

Examples: Because meridionalis is a common epithet, it appears in a wide range of species names across many groups. It serves as one of several geographic descriptors used to summarize where a species is found and to distinguish closely related taxa.

See also: septentrionalis, borealis, austral/australis.