COOK—NOMENCLATURE OF SAPOTE AND SAPODILLA. 281 
turbinate form of the sapodilla was cited under what was now called 
Achras sapota, the initial letter of the specific name being changed 
from the zapota of the first edition. 
From the standpoint of that time this was a natural attempt on 
the part of Linneus to improve the form and limit the application of 
his name Achras zapota of the first edition, while establishing a new 
species for the sapote, but we no longer admit the right to alter a 
name or change its original application. 
ADJUSTMENT OF LINNAAN NAMES. 
As Plumier’s drawing shows an ovate sapodilla fruit, this must be 
considered as the type of the genus Achras, and of the species Achras 
zapota, as established in the first edition of the species Plantarum. 
If Linnzeus had been correct in placing Plumier’s ovate (sapodilla) 
fruit with Achras mammosa, he would have been incorrect in apply- 
ing a new name to this species, for it was the ovate sapodilla that 
had already received the name Achras zapota in his first edition. 
Thus, if the treatment of the second edition were taken at its face 
value, Achras zapota would be the name of the sapote, Achras mam- 
mosa would be a synonym, the sapodilla would be left without a 
Linnean name, and the question of finding a post-Linnean substi- 
tute would arise. But if, as seems certain, Linneus was mistaken 
in supposing that Plumier’s ovate fruit was a sapote, there is no 
occasion for following this line of reasoning any further. We have 
only to reject the reference to Plumier under Achras mammosa as a 
piece of erroneous synonymy. The exclusion of the reference is also 
justified by the fact that Linneus gives a specific description of 
Achras mammosa which mentions the cunciform-lanceolate leaves of 
the true sapote, in contrast with ovate-oblong leaves ascribed to the 
sapodilla. With the misplaced reference to Plumier excluded, the 
name mammosa can be supported by the references to Jacquin and 
Sloane, and remains available as a specific designation for the sapote. 
TWO VARIETIES OF SAPODILLA NAMED BY JACQUIN. 
In a later work! Jacquin recognized the fact that the two forms 
mentioned by Plumier were varieties of the same species and avoided 
the mistake made by Linneus in associating Plumier’s ovate fruit 
with the sapote. For the ovate-fruited form Jacquin adopted the 
correct Linnean name Achras zapota and gave the subspecific name 
zapotilla to include the form with the broader, turbinate fruit. The 
sapote, though treated as a distinct species, was not designated by a 
binomial name, but was called Achras zapota major. 
1 Stirp. Amer. 56. 1763. 
