Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Commelina erecta in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 41.
today: The current name for this species is Commelina erecta L.
original Latin diagnosis
Commelina corollis inaequalibus, foliis ovato-lanceolatis, caule erecto scabro simplicissimo.
English translation
Commelina with corollas unequal; with leaf blades ovate-lanceolate; [and] with the stem erect, scabrous, [and] very simple.
| 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] |
| with the stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| erect, | erecto - ablative singular masculine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum; modifies caule |
| scabrous, | scabro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective scaber, scabra, scabrum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| very simple. | simplicissimo - ablative singular masculine of superlative degree of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule |