Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 21 March 2026)





Quercus suber L.

Taxonomic history
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Quercus suber in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 995 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   Today: The current name for this species is Quercus suber L.


original Latin diagnosis
Quercus foliis ovato-oblongis indivisis serratis subtus tomentosis, cortice rimoso fungoso.

English translation
Quercus with leaf blades ovate-oblong, undivided, serrate [and] below tomentose; [and] with bark full of cracks [and] spongy.



English translation with commentary
Quercus Quercus
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
ovate-oblong ovato-oblongis = ovato- (combining form of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um) + oblongis (ablative plural neuter of group A adjective oblongus, -a, -um); modifies foliis
undivided indivisis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective indivisus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
serrate, serratis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective serratus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
below subtus - adverb
tomentose; tomentosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective tomentosus; modifies foliis
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with bark cortice - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun cortex, corticis
full of cracks rimoso - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective rimosus; modifies cortice
[and] [added for smoother reading]
spongy. fungoso - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective fungosus; modifies cortice


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