Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Scirpus capitatus in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 48.
today: The current name for this species is Eleocharis capitatus (L.) R. Br.
original Latin diagnosis
Scirpus culmo tereti nudo setiformi, spica subglobosa.
English translation
Scirpus with the culm terete, bare, [and] bristle-like; [and] with a spike subglobose.
| 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 |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| subglobose. | subglobosa - ablative singular feminine of group A adjective subglobosus, -a, -um; modifies spica |