Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Commelina communis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 40.
today: The current name for this species is Commelina communis L.
original Latin diagnosis
Commelina corollis inaequalibus, foliis ovato-lanceolatis acutis, caule procumbente glabro.
English translation
Commelina with corollas unequal; with leaf blades ovate-lanceolate [and] acute; [and] with the stem procumbent [and] glabrous.
| Commelina | Commelina |
| with corollas | corollis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun corolla, -ae |
| unequal; | inaequalibus - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective inaequalis, -is, -e; modifies corollis |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| ovate-lanceolate | ovato-lanceolatis - ovato- (combining form of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um) + lanceolatis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um); modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| acute; | acutis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective acutus, -a, -um; modifies foliis? |
| with the stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| procumbent. | procumbente - ablative singular masculine of present active participle of third conjugation verb procumbo, procumbere, procumbui, procumbitum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| glabrous. | glabro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective glaber, glabra, glabrum; modifies caule |