Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Oxalis versicolor in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 434 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
Today: The current name for this species is Oxalis versicolor L.
original Latin diagnosis
Oxalis caule simplici, pedunculo unifloro abbreviato, foliis filiformibus subramosis.
English translation
Oxalis with a stem unbranched; with a peduncle one-flowered [and] shortened; [and] with leaf blades filiform [and] nearly divided.
| Oxalis | Oxalis |
| with a stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| unbranched; | simplici - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule |
| with a peduncle | pedunculo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun pedunculus, -i |
| one-flowered | unifloro - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective uniflorus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculo |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| shortened; | abbreviato - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective abbreviatus, -a, -um; modifies pedunculo |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of seond declension neuter nout folium, -i |
| filiform | filiformibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective filiformis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| nearly divided. | subramosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective subramosus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |