1906] Robinson, — Nomenclature of N. E. Lauraceae 197 



examine the claims of the various competing names borne by the plant 

 in the past. As to the generic names, they have been as follows :— 



Laurus L. Spec. PI. i. 370 (1753). 



Benzoin Fabric. Enum. Meth. PI. Helmstad. ed. 2, p. 401 (1763). 



Lindem Thunb. Diss. Nov. Gen. 44 (1783). 



Laurus, subg. Euosmus Nutt. Gen. i. 258 (1818). 



Evosmus Reichenb. Conspec. 87 (1828). 



Benzoin Nees ex Wall. PI. As. Rar. ii. 63 (1831), and Laurin. 

 Expos. 17 (1833). 



Calosmon Presl in Kostel. AUg. med. pharm. Fl. ii. 477 (1833). 



Of these generic names the earliest, i. e. Laurus, was used by 

 Linnaeus to cover very different elements and is now properly limited 

 in its application to the genuine laurel and closely allied species. The 

 earliest post-Linnaean description of Benzoin by Fabricius in 1763 

 appears to have been generally overlooked until attention was called 

 to it by Kuntze, Rev. Gen. ii. 568 (1891). No mention of this early 

 publication of the genus Benzoin occurs in Bentham & Hooker's 

 Genera, in the Index Kewensis, in Pfeiffer's admirable and extraor- 

 dinarily complete Nomenclator, or in Mez's monographic treatment 

 of the Lauraceae. Not having access to the rare second edition of 

 Fabricius's Enumeratio methodica plantarum horti medici Helmstadi- 

 ensis, the writer applied to Professor WiUiara Trelease of the Missouri 

 Botanical Garden for a transcription of the treatment of Benzoin in 

 that work. The copy which he very kindly sent runs as follows : — 



" "^Benzoin Boerh. Ind. alt. Arbor virginiana, citrei vel limonii 

 folio, Benzoinum fundens Commelin. H. A. I. F. 97. virginiana, 

 pisaminis folio, baccata, Benzoinum redolens Plucknet. Phytogr. T. 

 CXXXIX. f. 3. Laurus foliis enerviis, ovatis, utrinque acutis, integris, 

 annuis L. Sp. 9. Flores ante folia, vel statim cumeis prodeunt, ex 

 una gemma plures, ut plurimum 3. vel 4. e viridi lutescentes, peduncu- 

 lati, 4. plerumque bractels ovatis, concoloribus, stipati, propter parvi- 

 tatem difficilius cognescendi, certo tamen hermaphroditici, corolla ex 

 6. vel 8. laciniis vel petalis constante. Numerus filamentorura incertus, 

 8. vel 9. Antherae aureae splendentes, tuberosae. Germen, stilus 

 & stigma Lauri. Nectarium & glandulae Linnaeanae vix dis- 

 tinguendae." 



From this description it will be seen that the genus Benzoin was 

 briefly but adequately described in 1763 and that, both from the char- 

 acters given and the synonymy cited, there can be no doubt whatever 



