tenuissima

Tenuissima is the feminine form of the Latin adjective tenuissimus, meaning “most slender” or “very thin.” In biological nomenclature, tenuissima is used as a descriptive species epithet in binomial names to indicate a slender, delicate, or finely proportioned form. Because adjectives in scientific names must agree in gender with the genus, the form tenuissima appears with feminine genera, while masculine and neuter forms are tenuissimus and tenuissimum, respectively.

The epithet is widely applied across taxa, including plants, animals, and fungi, to describe a morphology or habit that is notably slender or delicate. It does not imply any taxonomic relationship among species bearing the epithet; rather, it reflects a purely descriptive characteristic used by the describer at the time of naming. Consequently, many unrelated species across different genera may share the epithet tenuissima.

Etymology and usage: tenuissima derives from Latin tenuis, meaning thin or slender, with the -issimus superlative suffix. The practice of using descriptive Latin adjectives in species names has a long history in taxonomy and remains common in modern nomenclature. Adjective agreement rules—ensuring the epithet matches the gender of the genus—are an important aspect of proper usage, alongside other grammatical concordances in the full scientific name.