Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Gladiolus communis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 36 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Gladiolus communis L.
original Latin diagnosis
Gladiolus foliis ensiformibus, floribus distantibus.
English translation
Ixia with leaves ensiform; [and] with flowers at a distance [from each other].
| Gladiolus | Gladiolus |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| ensiform; | ensiformibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective ensiformis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with flowers | floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris |
| at a distance [from each other]. | distantibus - ablative plural masculine of present participle of first conjugation verb disto, -are, —, —; modifies floribus |