sanguineum

Sanguineum is a Latin adjective used in scientific names as a species epithet to indicate a blood-red or reddish color. The term stems from sanguineus, with sanguis meaning blood, and sanguineum being the neuter singular form. It is employed to describe coloration rather than to designate a distinct taxon.

In taxonomic practice, sanguineum appears across various kingdoms, including plants, fungi, and animals, to highlight features such as red or purplish flowers, fruits, or markings, or other reddish characteristics observed in the organism. Because it is an adjective, its form agrees with the gender of the genus name: masculine forms include sanguineus, feminine forms sanguinea, and neuter forms sanguineum.

The epithet does not constitute a taxon by itself; it functions as a descriptive part of a binomial (or trinomial) name. Its use reflects Latin grammatical rules and aims to convey a concise sense of the organism’s appearance. The recurrent deployment of sanguineum across different genera illustrates how color-based descriptors are reused in taxonomy to communicate a shared trait, even when unrelated lineages are named.

In modern nomenclature, the use of sanguineum, sanguineus, or sanguinea is governed by the International Codes for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) and for zoology (ICZN). Researchers select forms that agree with the genus gender and maintain consistency within names. See also Latin in biological nomenclature.