Affinis
/AF-ih-nis/🏷️ Taxonomy●●● Advanced
Also known as: affine
An epithet indicating the plant is closely allied or related to another, usually better-known species. It is a botanist's way of flagging a close kinship without claiming identity. It is used when a plant shares so many characteristics with another that the relationship is immediately obvious but the plants are not identical. Appears as affinis (both genders).
Etymology
From Latin affinis, meaning "related," "neighboring," or "allied," from ad- (to) + finis (boundary, end), originally meaning "bordering on."
Example
“Festuca affinis and Poa affinis are both named to signal their close resemblance to more familiar species — the botanist's honest note that this is a near-relative rather than an identical twin.”