pereirae

Pereirae is not a taxon or place, but a Latinized form commonly used as a specific epithet in botanical and zoological nomenclature. It originates from the surname Pereira and is employed to honor a person with that name in the scientific naming of a species.

In practice, pereirae is treated as the second part of a binomial name (the species epithet). The ending reflects Latin grammatical conventions and, in many naming traditions, signals that the honoree is female. Therefore, pereirae is typically used when the person being honored is a woman with the surname Pereira. If the honoree is a man, a different masculine form (often ending in -i or a similar suffix) may be used, depending on the author and code of nomenclature.

Usage notes: pereirae is lowercased as with all species epithets and is not itself a standalone taxonomic rank. It functions solely to form a complete species name in combination with a genus, or in some cases with infraspecific ranks (subspecies, variety, etc.).

Etymology: the form derives from the Portuguese/Spanish surname Pereira, with the genitive feminine suffix -ae applied in Latinized botanical and zoological practice to indicate “of Pereira” in honor of the person.

See also: Latin names in taxonomy; species epithets; ICZN and botanical nomenclature codes; conventions for naming after people.