Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Pinus abies in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 1002 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
1824: A. G. Dietrich created the genus Picea in volume 2 of his Flora der Gegend um Berlin.
1881: H. Karsten, in his Deutsche Flora, moved Pinus abies to the genus Picea.
Today: The current name for this species is Picea abies (L.) Karst.
original Latin description
Pinus foliis subulatis mucronatis laevibus bifariam versis.
English translation
Pinus with leaves subulate, mucronate, smooth, [and] in two directions turned.
English translation with commentary
| Pinus | Pinus |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| subulate, | subulatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective subulatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| mucronate, | mucronatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective mucronatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| smooth, | laevibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective laevis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| in two directions | bifariam - adverb |
| turned. | versis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective versus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |