Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 18 January 2026)



Calla aethiopica L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Calla aethiopica in Species Plantarum, 1st edition, p. 968.
   today: The current name for this species is Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.


original Latin diagnosis
Calla foliis sagittato-cordatis, spatha cucullata, spadice superne masculo.

English translation
Calla with leaf blades sagittate-cordate; with a spathe cucullate; [and] with a spadix above masculine.


English translation with commentary

Calla Calla
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
sagittate-cordate; sagittato-cordatis = sagittato- (combining form of group A adjective sagittatus, -a, -um) + cordatis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective cordatus, -a, -um); modifies foliis
with a spathe spatha - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spatha, -ae
cucullate; cucullata - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective cucullatus, -a, -um; modifies spatha
[and] added for smoother reading
with a spadix spadice - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun spadix, spadicis
above superne - adverb
masculine. masculo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective masculus, -a, -um; modifies spadice


For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here.         To access the Species Plantarum concordance, please click here.