officinale

Officinale, often seen as officinalis in botanical names, is a Latin epithet used in binomial nomenclature to indicate that a plant has historical medicinal use or official status in apothecaries and pharmacopoeias. It derives from officina, meaning a workshop or the apothecary’s shop, and signifies that the plant was regarded as an official drug or remedy in traditional medicine. In botanical naming, the epithet can appear as officinalis (masculine or feminine) or officinale (neuter), depending on the gender of the genus.

The term reflects ethnobotanical and medical significance rather than a claim of modern therapeutic efficacy. Species bearing this epithet were commonly documented in historical pharmacopoeias and herbals, signaling their prominence in traditional medicinal systems. Today, the epithet remains part of the scientific name, even as pharmacological evidence and regulatory status have evolved.

Common examples include Calendula officinalis (pot marigold), Salvia officinalis (sage), and Valeriana officinalis (valerian). These names point to long-standing uses in herbal medicine and traditional remedies, while not guaranteeing clinical effectiveness under contemporary standards.

In summary, officinale (or officinalis) functions as a historical cue within plant taxonomy, linking a species to traditional medicinal use and official pharmacopoeial recognition rather than to current pharmacological endorsement.