Botanical Latin Translations

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 (updated 17 July 2026)




Alopecurus pratensis L.

Taxonomic history:
    1753: Linnaeus described this species as Alopecurus pratensis in Species Plantarum, 1st ed., p. 60.
   today: The current name for this species is Alopecurus pratensis L.


original Latin diagnosis
Alopecurus culmo spicato erecto.

English translation
Alopecurus with a culm bearing a spike [and] erect.


English translation with commentary
Alopecurus Alopecurus
with a culm culmo - ablative singular of second declension masculine noun culmus, -i
bearing a spike spicato - ablative singular masculine of group A adjective spicatus, -a, -um; modifies culmo
[and] [added for smoother reading]
erect. erecto - ablative singular masculine of perfect passive participle of third conjugation verb erigo, erigere, erexi, erectum; modifies culmo



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