scabrum

Scabrum is a Latin adjective used in biological nomenclature. In taxonomy, scabrum functions as a species epithet rather than a standalone genus name. The term derives from Latin scaber, meaning rough or scaly, and its neuter form scabrum is commonly translated as rough or scabrous. When used in species names, scabrum usually signals a rough texture, a scaly surface, or another tactile characteristic noted by the describer at the time of naming.

As a descriptive epithet, scabrum appears across multiple genera in plants, animals, and fungi. The exact taxonomic placement of any given scabrum-bearing species depends on its genus and higher classification, and the epithet is not evidence of relatedness between species that share it. Consequently, scabrum does not indicate a persistent taxon at the genus level.

In scholarly writing, the epithet is treated as part of the binomial name and is subject to the same nomenclatural rules as other species epithets. Because the epithet can be reused in different genera, encountering scabrum in a species name does not imply a single lineage. Related Latin descriptors include scaber and scabrosus, which convey similar rough-texture connotations. Scabrum, therefore, is a descriptive epithet rather than a taxon.