Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Juniperus communis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 1040.
today: The current name for this species is Juniperus L.
original Latin description
Juniperus foliis ternis patentibus mucronatis.
English translation
Juniperus with leaves in threes, spreading, [and] mucronate.
| Juniperus | Juniperus |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| in threes, | ternis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective terni, -ae, -a; modifies foliis |
| spreading, | patentibus - ablative plural neuter of present active participle of 2nd conjugation verb pateo, -ere, -ui, —; modifies foliis |
| [and] | added for smoother reading |
| mucronate. | mucronatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective mucronatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |