Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Scirpus spadiceus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 51.
today: The current name for this species is Fimbristylis spadicea (L.) Vahl
original Latin diagnosis
Scirpus culmo triquetro nudo, umbella subnuda, spicis oblongis sessilibus terminalibusque.
English translation
Scirpus with the culm three-angled [and] naked; [and] with spikes oblong, sessile, [and] terminal.
| Scirpus | Scirpus |
| with the culm | culmo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i |
| three-angled | triquetro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective triquetrus, -a, -um; modifies culmo |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| naked; | nudo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective subnudus, -a, -um; modifies culmo |
| with an umbel | umbella - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun umbella |
| nearly naked; | subnuda - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective subnudus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with spikes | spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| oblong, | oblongis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective oblongus, -a, -um; modifies spicis |
| sessile, | sessilis - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective sessilis, -is, -e; modifies spicis |
| and terminal. | terminalibusque = terminalibus (ablative plural feminine) + -que (and); modifies spicis |