Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Mespilus pyracantha in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 478 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem.
original Latin diagnosis
Mespilus spinosa, foliis lanceolato-ovatis crenatis, calycibus fructus obtusis.
English translation
Mespilus spiny; with leaf blades lanceolate-ovate [and] crenate; [and] with calyces of a fruit obtuse.
| Mespilus | Mespilus |
| spiny; | spinosa - nominative singular feminine of group A adjective spinosus, -a, -um; modifies Mespilus |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| 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 |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| crenate; | crenatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective crenatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with calyces | calycibus - ablative plural of second declension masculie noun calyx, calycis |
| of a fruit | fructus - genitive singular of fourth declension masculine noun fructus, fructus |
| obtuse. | obtusis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective obtusus, -a, -um; modifies calycibus |