sibirica

Sibirica is a Latin epithet used in the scientific names of many organisms to indicate origin from Siberia. It is the feminine form of sibiricus (masculine) and sibiricum (neuter), chosen to agree with the gender of the genus in a binomial name. Like other geographic epithets, sibirica does not designate a single taxon but rather a descriptive element that can occur in multiple genera and across different kingdoms.

Common in botanical names, it marks Siberian origin or association. Notable examples include Abies sibirica, the Siberian fir, a long-lived evergreen conifer native to boreal forests of central and eastern Siberia; Pinus sibirica, the Siberian pine or Siberian cedar pine, widespread from western to eastern Siberia; and Larix sibirica, the Siberian larch, a dominant tree in the Siberian taiga. There are other species in other groups with the epithet as well, reflecting the region rather than a close taxonomic relationship with these conifers.

Taxonomic practice uses such epithets carefully, and the same epithet may be applied to unrelated species over time or revised with new classifications. When encountered, sibirica should be understood as an indicator of geographic origin rather than a shared lineage.