Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 29 December 2025)





Fagus pumila L.

Taxonomic history
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Fagus pumila in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 998 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   Today: The current name for this species is Castanea pumila (L.) Mill.


original Latin diagnosis
Fagus foliis lanceolato-ovatis acute serratis subtus tomentosis, amentis filiformibus nodosis.

English translation
Fagus with leaf blades lanceolate, sharply serrate, [and] below tomentose; [and] with aments filiform [and] knotted.



English translation with commentary
Fagus Fagus
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii
lanceolate-ovate, lanceolato-ovatis = lanceolato- (combining form of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um) + ovatis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um); modifies foliis
sharply acute - adverb; modifies serratis
serrate, serratis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective serratus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
below subtus - adverb
tomentose; tomentosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective tomentosus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with aments amentis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun amentum
filiform filiformibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective filiformis, -is, -e; modifies amentis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
knotted. nodosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective nodosus, -a, -um; modifies amentis


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