nothospecies

Nothospecies, or nothospecies, is the formal name given to an interspecific hybrid that is treated as a species within a genus. The term comes from the Greek nothos, meaning hybrid or bastard, and it is used in taxonomy to recognize hybrids that persist as recognizable lineages in nature or cultivation. These hybrids may display stable morphological traits and occupy distinct ecological or geographical niches, allowing them to be described and named at the species level.

Nomenclature and usage follow botanical practice. In the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), a nothospecies name is typically written with a multiplication sign (×) indicating hybrid origin. A representative format is Genus × epithet, for example Populus × canadensis, denoting a recognized hybrid between two parent species within the same genus. The epithet itself does not always reveal exactly which species contributed to the hybrid; details about parentage are usually provided in the taxonomic description.

Occurrence and examples. Notho- species are most common in plants, especially among trees, shrubs, and ornamentals developed through intentional crosses in horticulture or through natural hybridization. A classic example is Populus × canadensis, a widely cultivated hybrid of Populus deltoides and Populus nigra. In garden plants, many interspecific crosses among Lilium or Rosa have been described and treated as nothospecies in taxonomic works or horticultural references, reflecting their stability and distinctiveness as lineages.

Limitations. The status of a nothospecies can be contested, and molecular data often prompt reclassification or reinterpreting the hybrid’s rank. Not all hybrids receive a nothospecies designation; some are treated as cultivars, varieties, or part of a broader hybrid complex. See also Hybrid, Hybridization, Botanical nomenclature.