Common Abbreviations

Abbreviations, symbols, and latin words commonly encountered on herbarium sheets, annotation labels, and botanical literature. Whole latin words (but not their abreviations) are show in italics. 

! : specimen has been seen by the author (literature); determiner agrees with/confirms a previous identification (specimen)

? : signifies a degree of uncertainty in the identification

= : in literature it denotes a heterotypic (taxonomic) synonym; on a specimen it usually denotes the currently accepted name

≡ : homotypic (nomenclatural) synonym

aff.: affinis (affine), akin to, related to; signifies a degree of uncertainty, or the opinion that a potentially new and undescribed species has affinities with a known species

appr.: approbavit, he/she confirmed

cf.: confer, compare; signifies a degree of uncertainty

coll.: collegit, he/she gathered; also an abbreviation for 'collector'

conf.: confirmavit, he/she confirmed

det.: determinavit, he/she has determined, followed by a person’s name and date in the annotation of a specimen

ex: from, out of

f.: forma, form; or filius, son; also figura, figure

fide: by the faith, by the assurance of, according to

fig.: figura, figure

fo.: forma, form

holo., HT: holotypus, holotype

hort.: hortorum, of gardens

ib., ibid.: ibidem, in the same place

ined.: ineditus, unpublished

leg.: legit, he/she has gathered

misit: he/she sent; often indicates who sent a duplicate to a botanist/herbarium

n.v.: non vidi, I have not seen; or non visus, not seen

nom. illeg.: nomen illegitimum, illegitimate name

nom. nud.: nomen nudum, naked name without a validating description or diagnonsis, or reference to such

p.p.: pro parte, in part

s.d.: sine die, without day, i.e. undated

s.l., s.lat.: sensu lato, in a broad/wide sense; s.l. can also sometimes refer to sea level

s.n.: sine numero, without number; used for an unnumbered gathering/collection

s.str., s.s.: sensu stricto, in a strict/narrow sense

sensu: in the sense/opinion of, followed by a person’s name

sp.: species

sp. nov.: species nova, new species

spp.: plural form of species

stet: let it stand

subsp., ssp.: subspecies

syn.: synonymum, synonym; also syntypus, syntype

typus: type

var.: varietas, variety

vel: or; usually seen after a species name as "vel aff." meaning this species or somthing similar