Botanical Latin Translations

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(updated 20 November 2024)





Valeriana officinalis L.

Taxonomic history:
   1753: Linnaeus described this species as Valeriana officinalis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 31.
   today: The current name for this species is Valeriana officinalis L.


Original Latin diagnosis:
Valeriana floribus triandris, foliis omnibus pinnatis.

English translation:
Valeriana with flowers three-stamened [and] with leaf blades all pinnate.


English translation with commentary:
Valeriana Valeriana
with flowers floribus - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun flos, floris
three-stamened triandris - ablative plural masculine of group A adjective triandrus, -a, -um; modifies floribus
[and] [added for smoother reading]
with leaf blades foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i
all omnibus - ablative plural neuter of group B adjective omnis, -is, -e; modifies foliis
pinnate. pinnatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective pinnatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis



For a list of botanical Latin translations, please click here.         To access the Species Plantarum concordance, please click here.