Taxonomic history:
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Veronica spuria in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 10.
today: The current name for this species is Veronica spuria L.
original Latin description
Veronica spicis terminalibus, foliis ternis aequaliter serratis.
English translation
Veronica with spikes terminal; with leaves in threes [and] equally serrate.
| Veronica | Veronica |
| with spikes | spicis - ablative plural of first declension feminine noun spica, -ae |
| terminal; | terminalibus - ablative plural feminine of group B adjective terminalis, -is, -e; modifies spicis |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| in threes | ternis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective terni, -ae, -a; agrees with foliis |
| [and] | added for smooher reading |
| equally | aequaliter - adverb |
| serrate. | serratis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective serratus, -a, -um; agrees with foliis |