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56 Terms used in Bionomenclature
cryptic species: (1) a hidden species; one of a group of very closely related
species which can only be distinguished from one another with
extreme difficulty or are morphologically indistinguishable but
reproductively isolated or molecularly distinct (and so an
evolutionary significant unit); see aggregate, complex, microspecies,
sibling species. (2) species names hidden in the literature ("ghosts in
the literature"), used especially of names not catalogued, cited, or
adopted for long periods of time; see forgotten name.
cryptic variety: (cult. pl.) a cultivated plant with attributes that cannot be
readily be taxonomically separated from an existing cultivar.
cryptogram: (vir., obsol.): a shorthand summary of the properties of a virus
or virus taxon placed after a name in the vernacular, consisting of
four pairs of symbols, describing, respectively: type of nucleic acid
(in millions)/percentage of nucleic acid in infective particles; outline
of particle/outline of nucleic acid and most closely surrounding
protein (nucleocapsid); kind of host infected/kind of vector; the
Virus Adansonian Classification (VAC).
cryptotype: (1) (zool., unoff.) a type published in an inappropriate
newsletter or magazine so that it is unlikely to be found. (2) (zool.,
unoff.) a type specimen amongst thousands of others received from
the estate of a taxonomist who failed to label his or her specimens.
cultigen, [cult., c., cg.]: (1) (cult. pl.) a species believed not to have
originated in the wild; i.e. one only known in cultivation. (2) (cult.
pl., prop.) a plant whose origin or selection is primarily due to
intentional human activity.
cultigrex, [cgr.]: see conculta.
cultimorph, [cultimorpha]: see subspecioid.
cultiplex: (cult. pl., unoff.) proposed as a rank term between subspecioid
and subcultiplex; approximately equivalent to that of variety (not
cultivar).
cultitaxon: see taxoid.
cultitype: see cultotype.
cultivar class: see denomination class.