Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 2 November 2024)



Lycopodium selago L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species on p. 1102 of Species Plantarum as Lycopodium selago.
   [research needed]
   1801: Bernhardi in the Journal of Botany (Schrader). 1800(2): 126. 1801
   today: The current name for this species is Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Mart. & Schrank


original Latin description
Lycopodium foliis sparsis octifariis, caule dichotomo erecto fastigiato, floribus sparsis.

English translation
Lycopodium with leaves sparse/scattered [and] eight-ranked; with a stem dichotomous, erect, [and] fastigiate; [and] with flowers sparse/scattered.


English translation with commentary
Lycopodium Lycopodium
with leaves foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
sparse/scattered sparsis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective sparsus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
8-ranked; octifariis - combining form of octo plus ablative plural neuter of group A adjective -farius, -a, -um; modifies foliis
with a stem caule - ablative singular of 3rd declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
dichotomous, dichotomo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective dichotomus, -a, -um; modifies caule
erect, erecto - ablative singular masculine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectus; modifies caule
[and] [added for smoother reading]
fastigiate; fastigiato - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective fastigiatus, -a, -um
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with flowers floribus - ablative plural of 3rd declension masculine noun flos, floris [That the strobilus is not a flower or inflorescence was not known in Linnaeus’s time.]
sparse/scattered. sparsis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective sparsus, -a, -um; modifies floribus


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