Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Salvia cretica in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 23.
today: The current name for this species is Salvia officinalis L.
original Latin diagnosis
Salvia foliis lanceolatis, calycibus diphyllis.
English translation
Salvia with leaf blades lanceolate; [and] with calyces two-leaved.
| Salvia | Salvia |
| with leaf blades | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, folii |
| lanceolate | lanceolatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective lanceolatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with calyces | calycibus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun calyx, calycis |
| two-leaved. | diphyllis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective diphyllus, -a, -um; modifies calycibus |