174 Rhodora [AUGUST 
The author attempts to defend his opinion by citing the rules of the 
Vienna Code. I submitted this very question to Prof. A. Engler, who 
stated that according to the rules, when the Linnaean genus Panicum 
was divided the name should go with the group having the greater 
number of species. It must be borne in mind that the Vienna rules 
do not dictate the historic type of a genus as the type species to be 
chosen. Linnaeus himself indicates no type but does make it evident 
from his description of the genus Panicum and his note appended to 
that description! that he does not consider as typical those species 
with awns or involucrate bristles. I believe that according to either 
the Vienna or the American Code, the name Panicum should be applied 
to the group containing P. miliaceum and that under no set of princi- 
ples is the publication of the new name Chasea justified. 
Dr. Nieuwland cites Linnaeus’ Philosophia Botanica (pp. 167 and 
168) as authority for applying the name Panicum to the involucrate 
species. But by the same authority he should apply the name 
Milium to the group he has named Chasea. 
The author assumes that ““Fernald and Robinson” and ‘‘Parrish”’ 
are not following the Vienna Code, when the name Setaria is retained 
for the involucrate species of Panicum, since there is an earlier hom- 
onym, ‘‘Acherson [Acharius] having given it to a group of lichens 
in 1798.” Dr. Nieuwland has overlooked the provision of Article 
50, “No one is authorized to reject....a name....because of the 
existence of an earlier homonym which is universally regarded as 
non-valid...." 
But, after deciding that the name Panicum should apply to the 
genus usually known as Setaria or Chaetochloa he says, ‘“This pro- 
cedure leaves the other genus hitherto called Panicum by the authors, 
without a name, as far as I am able to ascertain, and I propose that 
of Chasea." However there are already several published names 
available, among which may be mentioned, Urochloa Beauv. 1812, 
based on U. panicoides (Panicum Helopus Trin.); Paractaenum 
Beauv. 1812; Steinchisma Raf. 1830; Eriolytrum Desv. 1830; 
Phanopyrum Nash, 1903. It might be inferred that the author 
excludes all the above groups from Chasea were it not for the fact that 
he considers as synonyms of Panicum (Chaetochloa) the very distinct 
genera Ixophorus Schlecht. and Chamaeraphis ‘‘R. Br. 1810 (?).” 
1 Linn. Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 29. 1754. 
