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343 































there is a decided advantage in employing a compound name 

 since it conveys distinct information — such can be used in those 

 cases only where no earlier name exists, and where there is no 

 doubt about the parentage. 



Regarding the Rank and Position of Hybrids. — In the first 

 place, they can scarcely be treated as mere varieties — much less 

 ignored — if Willows are to be satisfactorily studied; on the other 

 hand, neither can they be considered as equal to species. The 

 title they should bear is that of " hybrid," and their ordinal posi- 

 tion should be near the species to which they are allied. As to 

 whether they should or should not be numbered, that is a matter of 

 convenience ; but their names should always have the prefix x , 

 as indicating the hybrid origin. 



Since, theoretically, every species of Salix cau hybridize with 

 every other species, the 18 British species (giving S. nigricans 

 specific rank for this occasion) should produce about 144 biuary 

 hybrids. As a matter of fact, about 61 real or supposed hybrids 

 of these 18 species are known ; but somewhere about 20 of these 

 have not yet been detected in Britain. The spjcies with which 

 each of the 18 hybridizes are as follow : 



Triandra, with fragilis, alba, cinerea 9 aurita, Caprea, an J 

 viminalis. 



i 





th/i 



Fragilis 9 with triandra, pentandra, and alba 



fi 



repens, viminalis, Lapponum, and purpurea. 

 Aurita, with triandra, cinerea. Caprea, 



ifolia 





phylicifc 



nigri- 





purea. 



Myrsinites 





■ 





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■ 







repens, viminalis, Lapponum, and purpurea 



ifolia, nigricans. 



vimtnalis, Lapponum, and purpurea. 



phylicifolia, nigricans 



ifoli 



, aurita, Caprea, nigricans, Arbuscula 



Nia 



Myrsinites, and herbacea. 



uis, JiLyrsinites, ana neroacea. 



with pentandra, cinerea, aurita, Caprea, phylicu 



herbacea, reticulata, and 



folia, repens, Lapponum, My 

 purpurea. 



■Arbuscula, with pentandra, phylicifolia, Lapponum, Myr 

 nerbacea, reticulata, and purpurea. 













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