Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Amomum zerumbet in Species Plantarum, 1st edition, p. 1.
today: The current name for this species is Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Sm.
original Latin description
Amomum scapo nudo, spica oblonga obtusa.
English translation
Amomum with a scape naked, [and] with a spike oblong [and] obtuse.
| Amomum | Amomum |
| with a scape | scapo - ablative singular of 2nd declension masculine noun scapus, -i |
| naked, | nudo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective nudus, -a, -um; modifies scapo |
| [and] | added for smoother reading |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of 1st declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| oblong | oblonga - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective oblongus, -a, -um; modifies spica |
| [and] | added for smoother reading |
| obtuse. | obtusa - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective obtusus, -a, -um; modifies spica |