Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Polygala bracteolata in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 702 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   today: The current name for this species is Polygala bracteolata L.

original Latin description
Polygala floribus cristatis, racemo laterali, bracteolis triphyllis, foliis lanceolatis, caule suffruticoso.

English translation
Polygala with flowers crested; with a raceme lateral; with bracteoles with three divisions; with leaf blades lanceolate; [and] with a stem suffruticose.

English translation with commentary

Polygala	Polygala
with flowers	floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris
crested;	cristatis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective cristatus, -a, -um; modifies floribus
with a raceme	racemo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun racemus, -i
lateral;	laterali - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective lateralis, -is, -e; modifies racemo
with bracteoles	bracteolis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun bracteola, -ae
with three divisions;	triphyllis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective triphyllus, -a, -um; modifies bracteolis
with leaf blades	foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
lanceolate;	lanceolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and]	[added for smoother reading]
with a stem	caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
suffrutescent.	suffruticoso - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective suffruticosus, -a, -um; modifies caule