Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Urtica pilulifera in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 983.
today: The current name for this species is Urtica pilulifera L.
original Latin description
Urtica foliis oppositis, amentis fructiferis globosis.
English translation
Urtica with leaves opposite; [and] with aments fruit-bearing [and] spherical.
| Urtica | Urtica |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| opposite; | oppositis - ablative plural neuter of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb oppono, opponere, opposui, oppositum; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with aments | amentis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun amentum, -i |
| fruit-bearing | fructiferis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective fructifer, fructifera, fructiferum; modifies amentis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| spherical. | globosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective globosus, -a, -um; modifies amentis |