Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Justicia procumbens in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 15.
today: The current name for this species is Justicia procumbens L.
original Latin description
Justicia procumbens, foliis lanceolatis integerrimis; spicis terminalibus lateralibusque alternis; bracteis setaceis.
English translation
Justicia procumbent; with leaves lanceolate [and] entire; with spikes terminal and lateral, alternate; with bracts setaceous.
| Justicea | Justicea |
| procumbent; | procumbens - nominative singular feminine of present active participle of third conjugation verb procumbo, procumbere, procumbui, procumbitum; modifies Justicia |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| lanceolate | lanceolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| entire; | integerrimis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective integerrimus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| with spikes | spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| terminal | terminalibus - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective terminalis, -is, -e; modifies spicis |
| and lateral, | lateralibusque - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective lateralis, -is, -e + enclitic -que (and) |
| alternate; | alternis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective alternus, -a, -um; modifies spicis; |
| with bracts | bracteis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun bractea, -ae |
| setaceous. | setaceis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective setaceus, -a, -um; modifies bracteis |