Some common Greek and Latin terms used in forming scientific names

Latin/Greek
word or part
word
actinoacutus, acuta
alba, albus
amphi-

English
ray

sharpened, pointed
white
of both kinds, on
both sides

Latin/Greek
word or part
word
gaster,
gastro, gastr

belly

Latin/Greek
word or part
word
rhizum

grandis
haema, hema

large
blood

rhodo
reptans

red
creeping, crawling

hali, halio

of the sea,
salt

roseum

pink

English

English
root

ampulla
angularis

bottle, flask
angle

haplohelios

simple, single
sun

rhis, rhinorhiza

nose
root

anthropos

man, human being

hexa

six

rhynchos

beak or snout

aquaticus

found in water

hippo

rostra

beak, bill, snout

aureum, aureus

golden, gold coin

hetero

red

archaeos,
archaeoargentatus

ancient

hirsute

hairy

ruber, rubra,
rubrum
rufus

silvery

homo

human, man

sativum

common

australis

southern

homo

striatus

striated

bi-

two

hydro

water

sanguis

blood

over, above

sapiens

wise

sativus

sown, cultivated

horse
different

same

reddish, red

borealis

northern

hyper

brachys, brachy

short

hypo, hyp

bradys, brady

slow

indicus

indian

saura, -saur

branchia

gills

lateralis

side

septem-

seven

brevis

short

lepis

a scale, rind,
husk, flake

sinensis

from china

caecus

blind

leucos

white or gray

specios-

showy

caeruleus

blue

lineatus

lined or
striped

sperma

seed

canis

dog

lobus

lobed

sphen-

wedge

under,
beneath

canus

gray (haired), pale

gray

luteus

yellow

stoma

cauda

tail

macro

long, large

striatus

maculates

spotted

tetra

lizard

mouth, opening

striped
four

cephalum,
cephale, cephalo
ceps

head

major

greater

tres, tris, tri-

three

maximus

largest

trich-, thrix

hair

chloro, chloros

green

megas

large, great

unus, uni

one

chroma

color

melano

black

ura

of the tail

chryso

chryso

micro

small

undulatis

wavy
claw or hoof

head

cola

dweller

minimus

smallest

ungulatis

corax

crow, raven

minor

smaller

viridis

green

mono

single

virosus

poisonous

clado

clado

coronatus

crowned

montanus

mountains

volans

flying

costatus

ribbed

morpho

shape

vulgaris

common

crass

thick

multi

variabilis

variable

cristatus

crested

nans

dwarf

variegatum

irregularly colored
ventral, of the belly

many

communis

society

nona

ninth

ventralis

crena

notch

notos

southern

verrucosus

rough skinned

dactylon

finger

novem

nine

versicolor

rough skinned

nigra

black

vermis

worm

naked

vulgaris

common

cyanos

blue

nudus

dactyls

finger or toe

obscurus

dark

xanthos

yellow

deca

ten

occidentalis

western

zygos

joined

decem

ten

octo-, octa-

eight

derma

skin

-odon, -odus

tooth
for the
workshop;
medicinal

dendro

tree

officinalis

dentatus

tooth

oleum

oil

dino, deino

terrible

ophis

serpent

di-

two

orientalis

eastern

digitatus

finger

ortho-

straight

Diplo-

double

pachy-

thick

dodeca

twelve

palma

palm

domesticus

from the house,

domestic

parvus

small

dorsum

back

pedi-

foot

dulcis

sweet

pelag-

open sea

dolicho

elongated, long

penn-

feather

pennatus

winged

echino-

spiny

edulis

edible

penta

five

elegans

elegant

phaeo

brown

ennea

nine

phago-

ensatus

sword

scale

erectus

upright

pholis,
pholidphyla, phyllo-

erythros,
erythro

red

phyto-

plant

flat or broad
many
first

eat

leaf

flavum
floris
familiaris

yellow
flower
domestic, common

platypoly
protos

folium

leaf

pter-

wing

punctatus

spotted

felis

cat

flavus

golden yellow, light

yellow

quadri

four

fulvus

deep yellow, tawny

quinta

five

fuscus

dark, dark brown

quadri

four

radiata

ray

formis

shape

I.

Based on specific epithet ALONE, describe each organism.

Organism
e.g. Oryza sativa
Allocasia macrorhiza
Bubalus mindorensis
Vigna radiata

Description
Oryza that is common

Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus
Gingko biloba
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Leucaena leucocephala
Nostoc commune
Brassaia actinophylla
Ficus benjamina

II. A short description of several unknown organisms are given. Write a possible specific epithet of each species
based on what you have learned about nomenclature.
Organism
Epinephelus
Fissidens
Ipomoea
Loxia
Micrococcus

Description
A fish with hexagonal markings
A moss whose leaf margins are finely
notched
A plant whose leaves have three lobes
A bird that is endemic to the pine regions
of Luzon
A bacterium that produces a yellow
pigment

Possible specific epithet