Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 18 January 2026)



Calla palustris L.

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


original Latin diagnosis
Calla foliis cordatis, spatha plana, spadice undique hermaphrodito.

English translation
Calla with leaf blades cordate; with a spathe flat; [and] with a spadix all over hermaphroditic.


English translation with commentary

Calla Calla
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
cordate; 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
flat; plana - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective planus, -a, -um; modifies spatha
[and] added for smoother reading
with a spadix spadice - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun spadix, spadicis
all over undique - adverb
hermaphroditic. hermaphrodito - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective hermaphroditus, -a, -um; modifies spadice


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