tataricum

Tataricum is a Latin species epithet used in the scientific names of various organisms. It signals a historical geographic association with Tartary, a broad term used in earlier geography for parts of Central Asia and the Volga-Ural region. In taxonomy, the epithet often denotes the origin of the type specimen or the range where the organism was first described, though it can also reflect traditional or commemorative naming rather than precise current locality.

In botanical and zoological nomenclature, adjectives must agree with the gender of the genus name. Tataricum is the neuter singular ending of the adjective; the masculine form is tataricus and the feminine form is tatarica. Therefore, a species placed in a neuter genus would be named with tataricum, while other gender forms would appear as tataricus or tatarica accordingly.

The use of Tartary or Tartary-derived epithets is historical in nature. As modern geography has evolved and many place names have changed, the epithet tataricum often reflects the provenance as understood at the time of description rather than a precise current locality. Consequently, the term appears across various taxonomic groups, primarily in older or foundational literature, and may persist in valid names or as part of historical synonyms.

Overall, tataricum illustrates how geographic descriptors in species names document perceived origin within the framework of classical Latin grammar, while acknowledging that regional names and boundaries have shifted over time.