Classical Latin – that used by the Romans – is fairly different in many respects from modern Latin, and from scientific Latin in particular. In scientific Latin the basic grammar and syntax remain but much of the vocabulary is different – understandably, as many terms were unknown to the Romans. In particular, in botanical Latin we tend to omit most verbs, making a kind of telegraphic style, so avoiding one of the more difficult parts of the language.

This primer aims to teach you the very basics of botanical Latin, so that when the time comes for you to compose your own first description or diagnosis, starting off will not be the drama you feared, as at least you will understand the basic workings of the language and the methods used in translation. Likewise, with this primer as a guide you should be able to translate most botanical texts written in Latin. Bear in mind that early botanical Latin – say, until 1850 or later – is more akin to classical Latin, and so texts from that time will require wider knowledge of grammar, or assistance from a Latin scholar.

In many examples in this book, we give the literal translation into English as well as the colloquial so that the differences between the two languages can be demonstrated. This means that the English may sometimes appear slightly unusual or stilted, as the word order will be a bit eccentric.