Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Arum dracontium in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 964 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Arisaema dracontium (L.) Schott
original Latin diagnosis
Arum foliis pedatis, foliolis lanceolatis integerrimis superantibus spatham spadice breviorem.
English translation
Arum with leaf blades palmate with lateral lobes divided; with leaflets lanceolate, entire, surpassing the spathe [which is, in turn] than the spadix shorter.
| Arum | Arum |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| palmate with lateral lobes divided; | pedatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective pedatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| with leaflets | foliolis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun foliolum, -i |
| lanceolate, | lanceolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliolis |
| entire, | integerrimis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective integerrmus, -a, -um; modifies foliolis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| extending beyond | superantibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of first conjugation verb supero, -are, -avi, -atum; agrees with foliolis |
| [the] spathe | spatham - accusative singular of first declension feminine noun spatha, -ae; object of aequantibus |
| [which is, in turn] than the spadix | spadice - ablative singular of third declension noun spadix, spadicis; object of breviorem |
| shorter. | longiorem - accusative singular of comparative degree of group B adjective brevis, -is, -e; agrees with spatham |