Subfamily

A subfamily (Latin: subfamilia, plural subfamiliae) is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, positioned below family and above genus. It is used to classify groups of related genera within a family, helping organize the diversity of life more precisely.

Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with the suffix "-oideae", whereas zoological subfamily names end with "-inae". These suffixes help clearly identify the taxonomic rank in scientific literature and classification systems.