paucispinum

Paucispinum is a Latin adjectival epithet used in biological nomenclature to indicate that an organism possesses few spines or reduced spination compared with related taxa. The term is formed from paucus, meaning "few," and spina, meaning "spine," with endings chosen to agree with the gender of the genus name.

In taxonomy, paucispinum is not a taxon in itself but a descriptive element incorporated into species names across diverse groups, including plants, arachnids, insects, mollusks, and other invertebrates. It is employed to signal a diagnostic character used in the description or distinction of a species or form, such as a plant with fewer thorns or an animal with fewer dorsal spines relative to closely related taxa. The presence of such an epithet implies a comparative assessment within a lineage.

Nomenclature notes: Latin adjectives in scientific names must agree in gender with the generic name. Therefore, masculine forms like paucispinus, feminine paucispina, or neuter paucispinum may appear depending on the genus. The form paucispinum is commonly used when the associated genus is neuter or when the form is treated as a neutral epithet.

See also: Latin in biological nomenclature; spination; taxonomic epithets; paucispina; paucispinus.