Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Galium trifidum in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 105 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Galium trifidum L.
original Latin diagnosis
Galium foliis quaternis linearibus, caule procumbente scabro, corollis trifidis.
English translation
Galium with leaves in fours [and] [with leaf blades] linear, with a stem lying down [and] scabrous, [and] with corollas three-cleft.
| 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 |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| [with leaf blades] linear, | linearibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective linearis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| with a stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| lying down | procumbente - ablative singular masculine of present active participle of third conjugation verb procumbo, procumbere, procumbui, procmbitum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| scabrous, | scabro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective scaber, scabra, scabrum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with corollas | corollis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun corolla, -ae |
| three-cleft. | trifidis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective trifidus, -a, -um; modifies corollis |