sulphurea

Sulphurea is a Latin adjectival epithet used in scientific names to describe a characteristic of an organism, most often its color. The form sulphurea is feminine, matching feminine genus names; masculine and neuter forms are sulphureus and sulphureum, respectively. The root derives from sulfur and conveys the sense of sulfur-yellow or sulfur-containing.

In taxonomy, sulphurea is not a distinct taxon but a descriptive epithet applied across many genera in plants, fungi, and animals. Its use is descriptive rather than systematic, indicating that the species bears a sulfur-yellow coloration or possesses a sulfur-like trait. Because it is a descriptive term, it appears in numerous, unrelated lineages rather than signifying related organisms.

The epithet has historical prevalence and appears in older and some contemporary taxonomic literature. In modern naming practice, some authors may favor alternative color descriptors such as flavus or luteus for yellow tones, but sulphurea remains common in many established names.

Beyond taxonomy, the term also appears in color descriptions, where it denotes a bright, warm yellow similar to elemental sulfur. As with other Latin epithets, its exact meaning is context dependent and tied to the appearance or chemistry of the organism in question.

For those seeking specific instances of the epithet, taxonomic databases and reference works list species bearing sulphurea across genera, providing genus-specific details and descriptions.