Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Veronica spicata in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 10.
today: The current name for this species is Veronica spicata L.
original Latin description
Veronica spica terminali, foliis oppositis crenatis obtusis, caule adscendente simplicissimo.
English translation
Veronica with a spike terminal; with leaves opposite, [the blades] crenate [and] obtuse; [and] with a stem ascending [and] quite undivided.
| Veronica | Veronica |
| with a spike | spica - ablative singular of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| terminal; | terminali - ablative singular feminine of group B adjective terminalis, -is, -e; modifies spica |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| opposite, | oppositis - ablative plural neuter of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb oppono, opponere, opposui, oppositum; modifies foliis |
| [the blades] crenate, | crenatis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective crenatus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| obtuse; | obtusis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective obtusus, -a, -um; modifies foliis |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with a stem | caule - ablative plural of third declension masculine noun caulis, -is |
| ascending | adscendente - ablative singular masculine of present active participle of third conugation verb adscendo, adscendere, adscendi, adscensum; modifies caule |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| quite undivided. | simplicissimo - ablative plural masculine of superlative degree of group B adjective simplex, simplex, simplex; modifies caule |