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 |