Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Agrostis canina in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 62 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Agrostis canina L.
original Latin description
Agrostis calycibus coloratis, petalorum arista dorsali recurva.
English translation
Agrostis with calyces colored; [and] of petals with an awn dorsal [and] recurved.
| Agrostis | Agrostis |
| with calyces | calycibus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun calyx, calycis |
| colored; | coloratis - ablative plural masculine of perfect participle of first conjugation verb coloro, -are, -avi, -atum; modifies calyces |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| of the petals | petalorum - genitive plural of second declensionn neuter noun petalum, -i |
| with an awn | arista - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun arista, -ae |
| dorsal | dorsali - ablative singular feminine of group B adjective dorsalis, -is, -e; modifies arista |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| recurved. | recurva - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective recurvus, -a, -um; modifies arista |