Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Galium tinctorium in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 106 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Galium tinctorium L.
original Latin diagnosis
Galium foliis linearibus: caulinis senis; ramorum quaternis, caule flaccido, pedunculis subbifloris, fructibus glabris.
English translation
Galium with leaf blades linear: cauline [leaves] in sixes; [leaves] of branches in fours; with a stem flaccid; with peduncles usually two-flowered; [and] with fruits glabrous.
| Galium | Galium |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| linear: | linearibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective linearis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| the cauline [leaves] | caulinis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective caulinus, -a, -um; agrees with foliis |
| six together, | senis - ablative plural neuter of numerical adjective seni, senae, sena; agrees with foliis |
| [the leaves] of the branches | ramorum - genitive plural of second declension masculine noun ramus, -i |
| in fours; | quaternis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective quaterni, -ae, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with fruits | fructibus - ablative plural of fourth declension masculine noun fructus, fructus |
| glabrous. | glabris - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective glaber, glabra, glabrum; modifies fructibus |