Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Gladiolus ramosus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 37 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Melasphaerula ramosa (L.) Klatt ex T. Durand & Schinz
original Latin diagnosis
Gladiolus caule ramoso, foliis linearibus.
English translation
Gladiolus with stem branched; [and] with leaf blades linear.
| Gladiolus | Gladiolus |
| with stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| branched; | ramoso - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective ramosus, -a, -um; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| linear. | linearibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective linearis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |