Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 7 November 2024)





Salvia nutans L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Salvia nutans in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 27.
   today: The current name for this species is Salvia nutans L.


original Latin diagnosis
Salvia foliis cordatis inaequaliter basi excisis, caule subnudo, spicis ante florescentiam cernuis.

English translation
Salvia with leaf blades cordate [and] at the base unequally cut out; with a stem nearly naked; [and] with spikes before the flowering period nodding.


English translation with commentary
Salvia Salvia
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii
cordate cordatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective cordatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
unequally inaequaliter - adverb; modifies excisis
at the base basi - ablative singular of third declension feminine noun basis, basis
cut out; excisis - ablative plural neuter of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb excido, excidere, excidi, excisum; modifies foliis
with a stem caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
nearly naked; subnudo - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
with spikes spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae
before ante - preposition (takes accusative)
the period of flowering florescentiam - accusative singular of first declension feminine noun florescentia, -ae; object of ante
nodding. cernuis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective cernuus, -a, -um; modifies spicis



For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here.         To access the Species Plantarum concordance, please click here.