Taxonomic history:
1763: Linnaeus described this species as Pinus canadensis in Species Plantarum, 2nd ed., p. 1421.
1855: Elie-Abel Carrière, in his Traité Général des Coniféres, elevated Tsuga from a section of Pinus to the genus level, and included in it the Pinus canadensis described by Linnaeus.
today: The current name for this species is Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.
original Latin description:
Pinus foliis solitariis linearibus obtusiusculis submembranaceis.
English translation:
Pinus with leaves solitary, linear, somewhat obtuse, [and] submembranaceous.
English translation with commentary:
| Pinus | Pinus |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of 2nd declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| solitary, | solitariis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective solitarius, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| linear, | linearibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective linearis, -is, -e; modifies foliis |
| somewhat obtuse, | obtusiusculis = obtusi- (combining form of group A adjective obtusus, -a, -um) + ablative plural neuter of group A adjectival suffix -usculus, -a, -um (a diminutive); modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| submembranaceous | submembranaceis = sub- (prefix indicating reduced intensity in a quality) + ablative plural neuter of group A adjective membranaceus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |