Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 22 May 2024)





Veronica spicata L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Veronica spicata in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 10.
   today: The current name for this species is Veronica spicata L.


original Latin description
Veronica spica terminali, foliis oppositis crenatis obtusis, caule adscendente simplicissimo.

English translation
Veronica with a spike terminal; with leaves opposite, crenate, [and] obtuse; with a stem ascending [and] quite undivided.


English translation with commentary
Veronica Veronica
with a spike spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae
terminal; terminali - ablative singular feminine of group B adjective terminalis, -is, -e; modifies spica
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
crenate, crenatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective crenatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
obtuse; obtusis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective obtusus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
with a stem caule - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun caulis, -is
ascending adscendente - ablative singular masculine of present active participle of third conugation verb adscendo, adscendere, adscendi, adscensum; modifies caule
[and] [added for smoother reading]
quite undivided. simplicissimo - ablative plural masculine of superlative degree of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule


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