muticus

Muticus is a Latin-derived term used in scientific naming as a descriptive epithet in zoological and botanical nomenclature. The word originates from mutus in classical Latin, meaning silent or mute, and the form muticus functions as an adjective in Latin grammar. In taxonomic practice its precise sense is not fixed; the meaning of muticus depends on the author who described the species and the character they intended to highlight.

In use, muticus does not denote a separate taxon or rank. Instead, it appears as part of a binomial name to describe a feature of the organism, such as a reduced, abbreviated, or otherwise understated trait relative to related species. Because epithet meanings can be highly context-specific, the interpretation of muticus should be derived from the original description of the species and any accompanying diagnostic notes.

Gender agreement in Latin means muticus will agree in gender with the genus name (for example, muticus with a masculine genus, mutica with a feminine genus, muticum with a neuter genus). Beyond its role as an epithet, muticus has no universal definition in modern taxonomy and is not a standalone taxon or widely recognized classification.

See also: Latin in scientific naming, Species epithet, Taxonomic nomenclature.