Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Cyperus elegans in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 45.
today: The current name for this species is Cyperus elegans L.
original Latin diagnosis
Cyperus culmo triquetro nudo, umbella foliosa, pedunculis nudis proliferis, spicis confertis.
English translation
Cyperus with the culm three-angled [and] naked; with an umbel leafy; with peduncles naked [and] bearing offshoots; and with spikes packed closely together.
| Cyperus | Cyperus |
| with the culm | culmo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i |
| three-angled | triquetro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective triquetrus, -a, -um; modifies culmo |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| naked; | nudo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective seminudus, -a, -um; modifies culmo |
| with an umbel | umbella - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun umbella, -ae |
| leafy; | foliosa - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective foliosus, -a, -um; modifies umbella |
| with peduncles | pedunculis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun pedunculus, -i |
| naked; | nudis - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective nudus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| bearing offshoots; | proliferis - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective proliferus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with spikes | spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| packed closely together. | confertis - ablative plural feminine of perfect passive participle of fourth conjugation verb confercio, confercire, confersi, confertum; modifies spicis |