Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 23 December 2025)





Polypodium trifoliatum L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Polypodium trifoliatum in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 1087 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   Today: The current name for this species is Tectaria trifoliata (L.) Sw.


original Latin diagnosis
Polypodium fronde ternata sinuato-lobata: intermedia majora.

English translation
Polypodum with a frond ternate [and] sinuate-lobed: [and] with the middle [lobe] larger.



English translation with commentary
Polypodium Polypodium
with a frond fronde - ablative singular of third declension feminine noun frons, frondis
ternate ternata - ablative singular of group A adjective ternatus, -a, -um; modifies fronde
[and] [added for smoother reading]
sinuate-lobed: sinuato-lobata = sinuato- (combining form of group A adjective sinuatus, -a, -um) + lobata (ablative singular feminine of group A adjective lobatus, -a, -um); modifies fronde
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with the middle [lobe] intermedia - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective intermedius, -a, -um; agrees with fronde
larger. majora - ablative singular feminine of comparative degree of group A adjective magnus, -a, -um; modifies intermedia


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