Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Laurus borbonia in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 370 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.
original Latin diagnosis
Laurus foliis lanceolatis transverse venosis, calycibus fructus baccatis.
English translation
Laurus with leaf blades lanceolate [and] transversely veined [and[ with calyces of fruit berry-like.
| Laurus | Laurus |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii |
| lanceolate | lanceolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| transversely | transverse - adverb; modifies venosis |
| veined | venosis - agrees with foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with calyces | calycibus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun calyx, calycis |
| of fruit | fructus - genitive singular of fourth declension masculine noun fructus, fructus |
| berry-like. | baccatis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective baccatus, -a, -um; modifies calycibus |