Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Scirpus fluitans in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 48.
today: The current name for this species is Isolepis fluitans (L.) R. Br.
original Latin diagnosis
Scirpus culmis teretibus nudis alternis, caule folioso flaccido.
English translation
Scirpus with the culm terete, bare, [and] [?]; [and] with the stem leafy [and] flaccid.
| Scirpus | Scirpus |
| with the culms | culmis - ablative plural of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i |
| terete, | teretibus - ablative plural masculine of group B adjective teres, teres, tere; modifies culmis |
| bare, | nudis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective nudus, -a, -um; modifies culmis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| [?] | alternis - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective alter, altera, alterum; modifies culmis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with the stem | caule - ablative singular of third declension masculine noun caulis, caulis |
| leafy | folioso - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective foliosus, -a, -um; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| flaccid. | flaccido - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective flaccidus, -a, -um; modifies caule |