Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Elymus virginicus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 84 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Elymus virginicus L.
original Latin diagnosis
Elymus spica erecta, spicula involucro longiore.
English translation
Elymus with a spike erect; [and] with a spikelet than the involucre longer.
| Elymus | Elymus |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| erect; | erecta - ablative singular feminine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum; modifies spica |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with a spikelet | spicula - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spicula, -ae |
| than the involucre | involucro - ablative singular of second declension neuter noun involucrum, -i |
| longer. | longiore - ablative singular feminine of comparative degree of group A adjective longus, -a, -um; agrees with spicula |