stellatarum

Stellatarum is a Latin epithet used in scientific names within botanical and zoological nomenclature. It is not itself a taxon, but rather a descriptor that appears as the second part of a binomial name to characterize a species.

Etymology and meaning: Stellatarum derives from stellatus, meaning starry or star-shaped, with -arum forming a Latin genitive plural ending. In practice, the epithet conveys a relation to stars or star-like features, and it is chosen to reflect a notable aspect of the species, such as a star-shaped pattern or arrangement.

Taxonomic usage: The epithet stellatarum appears across diverse taxa and can be found in plant and animal names. As with other epithets, it is subject to the rules of nomenclature governing form and agreement with the genus in the respective code (ICZN for animals, ICN for plants). The use of stellatarum does not designate a single taxon; rather, multiple, unrelated species may bear this epithet in different genera.

Notable considerations: Because epithets like stellatarum recur in many groups, the term alone conveys limited information about a species without the full binomial context. Researchers typically rely on the genus, species description, and diagnostic characters to identify and compare taxa that share this epithet.

See also: binomial nomenclature, Latin in scientific naming, stellatus, stellata, ICZN, ICN.