'capillifolium' originates from Latin, specifically the compound formed from 'capillus' and 'folium', where 'capillus' meant 'hair' and 'folium' meant 'leaf'.

'capillifolium' was coined in Neo-Latin (botanical Latin) as a descriptive epithet (literally 'hair-leaf') and has been used in modern botanical nomenclature as a species epithet.

Initially it meant 'hair-leaf' in Latin compounds, and over time it has retained that basic sense, now used specifically as a botanical epithet meaning 'with hairlike leaves'.