Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Crocus bulbocodium in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 36 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Romulea bulbocodium (L.) Sebast. & Mauri
original Latin diagnosis
Crocus spatha diphylla flori approximata, tubo corollae brevi.
English translation
Crocus with a spathe two-leaved [and] to the flower near; [and] with the tube of the corolla short.
| Crocus | Crocus |
| with a spathe | spatha - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spatha, -ae |
| two-leaved | diphylla - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective diphyllus, -a, -um; modifies spatha |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| to the flower | flori - dative singular of third declension masculine noun flos, floris |
| near; | approximata - ablative singular feminine of perfect passive participle of first conjugation verb approximo, -are, -avi, -atum; modifies spatha |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with the tube | tubo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun tubus, -i |
| of the corolla | corollae - genitive singular of first declension feminine noun corolla, -ae |
| short. | brevi - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective brevis, -is, -e; modifies tubo |