Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Justicia repens in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 15.
today: The current name for this species is Rungia repens (L.) Nees
original Latin description
Justicia repens, foliis ovatis subcrenatis; spicis terminalibus; bracteis lanceolatis.
English translation
Justicia creeping; with leaves ovate [and] subcrenate; with spikes terminal; with bracts lanceolate.
| Justicea | Justicea |
| creeping; | repens - nominative singular feminine of present active participle of third conjugation verb repo, -ere, -si, —; modifies Justicia |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| ovate | ovatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| subcrenate; | subcrenatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective subcrenatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| with spikes | spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| terminal; | terminalibus - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective terminalis, -is, -e; modifies spicis |
| with bracts | bracteis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun bractea, -ae |
| lancelate. | lanceolatis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies bracteis |