rigida

Rigida is a Latin feminine form commonly used as a specific epithet in biological nomenclature. It derives from rigidus, meaning stiff or rigid, and is employed to describe a characteristic feature of a species, such as a stiff or rigid morphology. The epithet itself does not denote a distinct group or taxon; it is part of a binomial name assigned to individual species.

In taxonomy, epithet forms are chosen to agree with the gender of the genus name. Therefore, rigida appears where the genus is feminine, while other gendered forms such as rigidus (masculine) or rigidum (neuter) may appear in corresponding cases. The use of rigida is widespread across diverse organisms, including plants and animals, reflecting observable traits rather than evolutionary relationships.

Because many genera can independently adopt the same epithet, a species named rigida in one genus is not necessarily closely related to a species bearing the same epithet in another genus. The epithet functions as a descriptive label within each binomial name and does not imply a shared lineage beyond the trait noted by the descriptor.

If browsing etymology or taxonomy, rigida is an example of how Latin descriptors are used to convey morphological notes in species names. Related topics include Latin grammar in biological nomenclature and the broader concept of specific epithets in taxonomy.