velutina

Velutina is a Latin adjective used in the scientific naming of organisms. In taxonomy, velutina functions as a species epithet or, less commonly, as part of a genus name. It is derived from velutinus, meaning velvet-like, and the feminine form velutina is used to agree with the gender of the genus.

In practice, velutina signals a velvety texture or appearance in the organism described. This texture might refer to soft hair on a plant's leaves, a velvety surface on an animal's body, or other smooth, plush features noted by the taxonomist. Because it is a descriptive term rather than a taxonomic rank, many unrelated species across different groups may bear the epithet velutina.

A well-known instance is Quercus velutina, the American black oak, a tree native to eastern North America. The epithet here is used to highlight a velvety aspect of the plant, such as the texture of certain organs or surfaces described in the original namings.

Because velutina is not restricted to a single lineage, its occurrences span multiple taxa and are governed by the same rules of Latin grammar used in binomial nomenclature. The term is one of many descriptive epithets that help convey a notable characteristic of the species at the time of naming.