Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 1 November 2024)





Iris versicolor L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Iris versicolor in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 39.
   today: The current name for this species is Limniris versicolor (L.) Rodion.


original Latin diagnosis
Iris corollis imberbibus, germinibus subtrigonis, caule tereti, foliis ensiformibus.

English translation
Iris with corollas beardless; with ovaries subtrigonous; with stem terete; [and] with leaves ensiform.



English translation with commentary
Iris Iris
with corollas corollis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun corolla, -ae
beardless; imberbibus - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective imberbis, -is, -e; modifies corollis
with ovaries germinibus - ablative plural of third declension neuter noun germen, germinis
subtrigonous; subtrigonis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective subtrigonus, -a, -um; modifies germinibus
with stem caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
terete; tereti - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective teres, teres, teres; modifies caule
[and] [added for smoother reading]
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


For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here.         To access the Species Plantarum concordance, please click here.