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
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ined.: ineditus, unpublished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
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
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
subsp., ssp.: subspecies
syn.: synonymum, synonym; also syntypus, syntype
typus: type
var.: varietas, variety