Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Galium rubioides in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 105 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Galium rubioides L.
original Latin diagnosis
Galium foliis quaternis lanceolato-ovatis aequalibus subtus scabris, caule erecto, fructibus glabris.
English translation
Galium with leaves in fours, lanceolate-ovate, equal, [and] below scabrous; with a stem erect. [and] with fruits glabrous.
| Galium | Galium |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| in fours, | quaternis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective quaternus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| 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 |
| equal, | aequalibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective aequalis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| below | subtus - adverb |
| scabrous, | scabris - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective scaber, scabra, scabrum; modifies foliis |
| with a stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| erect, | erecto - ablative singular masculine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with fruits | fructibus - ablative plural of fourth declension masculine noun frucus, fructus |
| glabrous. | glabris - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective glaber, glabra, glabrum; modifies fructibus |