Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 5 November 2025)





Arum dracunculus L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Arum dracunculus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 964 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   Today: The current name for this species is Dracunculus vulgaris (L.) Schott


original Latin diagnosis
Arum foliis pedatis, foliolis lanceolatis integerrimis aequantibus spatham spadice longiorem.

English translation
Arum with leaf blades palmate with lateral lobes divided; with leaflets lanceolate, entire, equalling the spathe [which is, in turn] than the spadix longer.



English translation with commentary
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]
equalling aequantibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of first conjugation verb aequo, -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 longiorem
longer. longiorem - accusative singular of comparative degree of group A adjective longus, -a, -um; agrees with spatham


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