Botanical Latin

Botanical Latin is a technical language based on Neo-Latin, used for descriptions of botanical taxa. Until 2012, International Code of Botanical Nomenclature mandated Botanical Latin to be used for the descriptions of most new taxa.^[1] It is still the only language other than English accepted for descriptions. The names of organisms governed by the Code also have forms based on Latin.^[2]

Botanical Latin is primarily a written language. It includes taxon names derived from any language or even arbitrarily derived,^[3] and consequently there is no single consistent pronunciation system. When speakers of different languages use Botanical Latin in speech, they use pronunciations influenced by their own languages, or, notably in French, there may be variant spellings based on the Latin. There are at least two pronunciation systems used for Latin by English speakers. Neither system, however, works across the full spectrum of botanical names, because many non-Latin words, such as people's names, have been used.^[4]