Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 27 March 2026)





Rosa indica L.

Taxonomic history
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Rosa indica in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 492 of Ray Society 1957 facsimile.
   Today: The current name for this species is Rosa cymosa Tratt.


original Latin diagnosis
Rosa subinermis, foliolis quinis subtus tomentosis: impari majori, stipulis obsoletis.

English translation
Rosa nearly unarmed; with leaflets in fives, below tomentose: with an uneven one larger; [and] with stipules rudimentary.



English translation with commentary
Rosa Rosa
with leaflets foliolis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun foliolum, -i
in fives, quinis - ablative plural neuter of numerical distributive adjective quini, quinae, quina; agrees with foliolis
below subtus - adverb
tomentose; tomentosis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective tomentosus, -a, -um; modifies foliolis
with an uneven one [referring to a leaflet] impari - ablative singular of third declension neuter noun imparis, imparis
larger; majori - ablative singular neuter of comparative degree of group A adjective magnus, -a, -um; modifies impari
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with stipules stipulis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun stipula, -ae
rudimentary. obsoletis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective obsoletus, -a, -um; modifies stipulis


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