282 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
The name zapotilla has been given specific rank by Coville and 
may come into use when a classification of the many different forms 
of the sapodilla is attempted. Though a reference to Plumier’s 
small, turbinate fruit is included by Jacquin under the subspecies 
zapotilla, it is preceded by references to varieties described from 
Jamaica by Brown and Sloane, in the latter case to Sloane’s plate 
no. 230. This shows a variety with rather small, round fruits, which 
may be taken to represent the type of the species or subspecies 2apo- 
tilla. Sloane’s account, published in 1725, indicates that the tree 
had been introduced into Jamaica rather recently from the region of 
Campeche. 
THE NAME SAPOTA NOT TO BE REVIVED. 
These complications regarding the sapote do not affect the sapo- 
dilla, which remains in undisputed possession of the generic name 
Achras, with Achras zapota as the specific designation and Sapota 
of Plumier as a generic synonym. Later use of Plumier’s name 
Sapota, as in Miller's Gardener’s Dictionary, does not suffice to re- 
establish it as a valid generic name for either the sapote or the sapo- 
dilla. As Achras represented a direct substitution of a name without 
change of generic content, the only way to restore Sapota would be 
to return directly to Plumier’s name. Some writers would take this 
course and deny the right of Linnzus to transfer the Greek name of 
the wild pear tree to a tropical genus. 
Though such a policy would not be approved at present, a future 
revival of interest in Greek civilization might easily lead to a restora- 
tion of the ancient plant names to their proper uses. In any event 
we should be taking entirely unwarranted liberties in transferring 
Plumier’s name from the sapodilla to the sapote. To do this it 
would have to be argued that Miller’s use of the name Sapota served 
to reestablish it under the binomial system, and then the principle 
of elimination would need to be invoked as a reason for applying the 
name to a different genus, because Miller included the sapote with 
the sapodilla. This method of selecting generic types by elimina- 
tion, though sometimes defended by zoologists, is very poorly adapted 
to botanical purposes. 
Pre-Linnwan botany reached a much higher development than pre- 
Linnean zoology and can not be wholly disregarded in the later 
development of the science. Nevertheless, some of the older names 
were discarded in the reform of botanical nomenclature by Linneus, 
and these names are not available for further use. Unless the names 
that Linneus rejected are to be allowed to rest in oblivion there is 
no good reason for following the proposals of Linneus. Certainly 
1 Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 9: 369. 1905. 
