Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Verbesina acmella in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 901 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Blainvillea acmella (L.) Philipson
original Latin diagnosis
Verbesina foliis oppositis lanceolato-ovatis petiolatis serratis, pedunculis unifloris dichotomiae caulis.
English translation
Verbesina with leaves/blades opposite, lanceolate-ovate, petiolate, [and] serrate; [and] with peduncles one-flowered [and] of a division of the stem.
| Verbesina | Verbesina |
| with leaves/blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii |
| opposite, | oppositis - ablative plural neuter of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb oppono, opponere, opposui, oppositum; modifies foliis |
| lanceolate-ovate, | lanceolato-ovatis = lanceolato- (combining form of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um) + ovatis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um); modifies foliis |
| petiolate, | petiolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective petiolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| serrate; | serratis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective serratus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with peduncles | pedunculis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun pedunculus, -i |
| one-flowered, | unifloris - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective uniflorus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| of the division | dichotomiae - genitive singular of first declension feminine noun dichotomia, -ae |
| of the stem. | caulis - genitive singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |