phoeniceus

Phoeniceus is a Latin adjective meaning phoenix-colored, typically rendered in English as phoeniceous or phœnĭceus. The term derives from the ancient association of the phoenix with a reddish-purple hue and the Tyrian purple dye, linking the color to a fiery, purplish tone.

In scientific nomenclature, phoeniceus is used as an epithet to describe coloration. It appears in taxonomic names for various plants, animals, and other organisms to indicate a reddish-purple or purplish-red appearance. The form is gendered in Latin: phoeniceus for masculine nouns, phoenicea for feminine, and phoeniceum for neuter. As an epithet, it is descriptive rather than taxonomically diagnostic, and its use depends on the author’s judgment about coloration rather than on a standardized color category.

Beyond taxonomy, phoeniceus has also appeared in historical color terminology and descriptive literature to denote a warm purple-red shade. In modern usage, the term is relatively rare and is often supplanted by more explicit color descriptions such as “reddish-purple,” “crimson,” or “magenta,” but may still be found in older texts or in stylistic descriptions within field guides and botanical or zoological catalogs.

See also: Tyrian purple, phoenix, color terminology in Latin nomenclature.