scabra

Scabra is a Latin adjective used in scientific nomenclature as a descriptive epithet in binomial names. The term means rough or scabrous and is often applied to organisms with a rough-textured surface, such as a rough leaf, bark, cuticle, or exoskeleton. It is not a taxon of its own.

Etymology and forms: Derived from Latin scaber, meaning rough. In botanical and zoological Latin, adjectives agree with the gender of the genus; scabra is the feminine form, with scabrum neuter and scaber masculine in common use. Other closely related epithets include scabrosus.

Taxonomic usage: Scabra appears in numerous species names across plants, fungi, and animals. Because it is an epithet, its appearance does not imply a unified group; different species across unrelated lineages may share the same descriptive term. The epithet often denotes a conspicuously rough texture rather than a diagnostic character shared by all members bearing the name.

Notes: Spelling and form may vary with taxonomic tradition and language; Latin grammar governs agreement with the genus name. Researchers naming new species may choose scabra to highlight a textured feature.

See also: scabrous; Latin epithets in taxonomy.