Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Eriophorum virginicum in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 52.
today: The current name for this species is Eriophorum virginicum L.
original Latin diagnosis
Eriophorum culmis foliosis teretibus, foliis planis[,] spica erecta.
English translation
Eriophorum with culms leafy [and] circular in cross-section; with leaf blades flat; [and] with a spike erect.
| Eriophorum | Eriophorum |
| with culms | culmis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i |
| leafy | foliosis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective foliosus, -a, -um; modifies culmis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| circular in cross-section; | teretibus - ablative plural masculine of group B adjective teres, -es, -e; modifies culmis |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii |
| flat; | planis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective planus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| erect. | erecta - ablative singular feminine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum; modifies spica |