tinctorum

Tinctorum is a Latin term used in scientific nomenclature to indicate an association with dye production. It is the genitive plural form of tinctor, meaning “dyer” or “dye-maker,” and in botanical names functions as a specific epithet roughly translating to “of the dyers” or “dyers’ dye.” The epithet signals a historical or practical link to dye use rather than a currently observable trait of the plant.

The best-known example is Rubia tinctorum, the common madder. This perennial plant yields a red dye from its roots that has been used since ancient times to color textiles. The dye from madder historically contained compounds such as alizarin; with the rise of synthetic dyes, madder’s commercial use declined, but it remains an important reference in the history of plant-based coloration.

Tinctorum occurs in several plant names reflecting dye-related associations, and related epithets such as tinctoria appear in other species (for example, Isatis tinctoria, the woad, a historic source of blue dye). In taxonomy, such epithets are not capitalized and are treated as lowercase elements within the binomial name.

In summary, tinctorum is a Latin epithet used to signal a plant’s historical or traditional connection to dye production, most notably seen in Rubia tinctorum, the madder.