Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Scirpus acicularis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 48.
today: The current name for this species is Eleocharis acicularis (L.) Roem. & Schult.
original Latin diagnosis
Scirpus culmo tereti nudo setiformi, spica ovata bivalvi, seminibus nudis.
English translation
Scirpus with the culm terete, bare, [and] bristle-like; with a spike ovate [and] two-valved; [and] with seeds naked.
| Scirpus | Scirpus |
| with the culm | culmo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i |
| terete, | tereti - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective teres, teres, tere; modifies culmo |
| bare, | nudo - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective nudus, -a, -um; modifies culmo |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| bristle-like | setiformi - ablative singular masculine of group B adjective setiformis, -is, -e; modifies culmo |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| ovate | ovata - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective ovatus, -a, -um; modifies spica |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| two-valved; | bivalvi - ablative singular feminine of group B adjective bivalvis, -is, -e; modifies spica |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with seeds | seminibus - ablative plural of third declension neuter noun semen, seminis |
| naked. | nudis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective nudus, -a, -um; modifies seminibus |