Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Pedicularis comosa in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 609 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Pedicularis comosa L.
original Latin description
Pedicularis caule simplici, spica foliosa, corollis galea acutis emarginatis, calycibus quinquedentatis.
English translation
Pedicularis with a stem unbranched; with a spike leafy; with corollas with a hood, acute. and emarginate; [and] with calyces five-toothed.
| Pedicularis | Pedicularis |
| with a stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| unbranched; | simplici - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| leafy; | foliosa - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective foliosus, -a, -um; modifies spica |
| with corollas | corollis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun corolla, -ae |
| with a galea, | galea - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun galea, -ae |
| acute, | acutis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective acutus, -a, -um; modifies corollis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| emarginate; | emarginatis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective emarginatus, -a, -um; modifies corollis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with calyces | calycibus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun calyx, calycis |
| five-toothed. | quinquedentatis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective quinquedentatus, -a, -um; modifies corollis |