Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Arbutus acadiensis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 395 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is uncertain.
original Latin diagnosis
Arbutus caulibus procumbentibus, foliis ovatis subserratis, floribus sparsis, baccis polyspermis.
English translation
Arbutus with stems procumbent; with leaf blades ovate [and] nearly serrate; with flowers scattered; [and] with berries many-seeded.
| Arbutus | Arbutus |
| with stems | caulibus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| procumbent; | procumbentibus - present active participle, ablative plural masculine of third conjugation verb procumbo, procumbere, procumbui, procumbitum; modifies caulibus |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| ovate | ovatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| nearly serrate; | subserratis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective subserratus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| with flowers | floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris |
| scattered; | sparsis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective sparsus, -a, -um; modifies floribus |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with berries | baccis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun bacca, -ae |
| many-seeded. | multispermis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective multispermus, -a, -um; modifies baccis |