Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Salvia nutans in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 27.
   today: The current name for this species is Salvia nutans L.

original Latin diagnosis
Salvia foliis cordatis inaequaliter basi excisis, caule subnudo, spicis ante florescentiam cernuis.

English translation
Salvia with leaf blades cordate [and] at the base unequally cut out; with a stem nearly naked; [and] with spikes before the flowering period nodding.

English translation with commentary

Salvia	Salvia
with leaf blades	foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii
cordate	cordatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective cordatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis
[and]	[added for smoother reading]
unequally	inaequaliter - adverb; modifies excisis
at the base	basi - ablative singular of third declension feminine noun basis, basis
cut out;	excisis - ablative plural neuter of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb excido, excidere, excidi, excisum; modifies foliis
with a stem	caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
nearly naked;	subnudo - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis
with spikes	spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae
before	ante - preposition (takes accusative)
the period of flowering	florescentiam - accusative singular of first declension feminine noun florescentia, -ae; object of ante
nodding.	cernuis - ablative plural feminine of group A adjective cernuus, -a, -um; modifies spicis