Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Chionanthus virginica in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 8.
today: The current name for this species is Chionanthus virginicus L.
original Latin description
Chionanthus pedunculis trifidis trifloris.
English translation
Chionanthus with peduncles trifid [and] three-flowered.
| Chionanthus | Chionanthus |
| with peduncles | pedunculis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun pedunculus, -i |
| trifid | trifidis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective trifidus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| three-flowered. | trifloris - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective triflorus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculus |