royleana

Royleana is a Latinized name that appears in botanical nomenclature. In some historical classifications it was used as a genus name, but in contemporary practice it is most commonly found as a species epithet appended to various genera. The epithet royleana is used to honor the British botanist John Forbes Royle, who contributed to the study of Indian flora in the 19th century. Because Royle described numerous species from the Indian subcontinent, many plants bear the royleana epithet in recognition of his work.

Taxonomic status varies by source. Modern databases do not recognize Royeana as a currently valid genus; when royleana appears, it typically signals a species named after Royle, not a formal genus. Some older literature treated it as a genus, but those classifications are not retained by current taxonomic standards. The usage of royleana is thus largely heraldic in modern references, with instances scattered across multiple plant families and genera.

Geographic and historical context often shape the appearance of royleana. The epithet is most commonly encountered in botanical descriptions from the Indian subcontinent and adjacent Himalayan regions, reflecting Royle’s influence on the region’s flora. The exact taxonomic placement of a royleana-bearing species depends on the source and the genus involved, illustrating how epithet-based naming can outlive changes in higher-level classification.

See also: John Forbes Royle; Royle (surname).