sitchensis

Sitchensis is a Latinized specific epithet occasionally encountered in biological nomenclature. It is used as the second element of a binomial name in various taxa to signal an association with a person or place linked to the name Sitch, though the exact origin depends on the author who coined it. There is no single taxon universally recognized by the epithet sitchensis or sitchensis, and its usage is not widespread in formal catalogs.

Etymology and formation: The form sitchensis or sitchensis reflects common practices for creating Latin adjectives from proper nouns, indicating origin or association. In zoological and botanical nomenclature, epithets are often derived from place names or personal names and must agree in gender with the genus. The precise construction of “sitchensis” therefore varies by author and lineage, and in some cases may be used more as a hypothetical or illustrative form than as a published, valid name.

Taxonomic usage and examples: There is no widely cited, currently valid species or genus whose name is officially recognized as “sitchensis” across major databases. When invoked in discussion, it is typically as a hypothetical binomial such as Genus sitchensis, where “Genus” stands in for an actual genus name. In real-world practice, similar epithets more commonly representing places use forms like sitkensis, rather than sitchensis.

Relation to other epithets: Sitchensis is distinct from sitchensis, a more common toponymic epithet formed from place-based roots or their Latinized equivalents. The choice between such epithets depends on the author’s intended reference and adherence to nomenclatural rules.

See also: sitkensis, toponymic epithets, ICZN rules.