Taxonomic history
1753: Linnaeus described this species as Veronica virginica in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 9.
today: The current name for this species is Veronicastrum virginicum L.
original Latin diagnosis
Veronica spicis terminalibus, foliis quaternis quinisve.
English translation
Veronica with spikes terminal [and] with leaves in four or fives.
| 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 |
| [and] | [added for smoother reading] |
| with leaves | foliis - ablative plural of second declension neuter noun folium, -i |
| in fours | quaternis - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective quaterni, -ae, -a; agrees with foliis |
| or fives. | quinisve - ablative plural neuter of group A adjective quini, -ae, -a + -ve (or); agrees with foliis |