182 Rhodora. [NOVEMBER 
The suggestion of Oeder,! to which Ehrhart refers, is (also freely 
translated) as follows: “There may be proposed, for common non- 
botanical conversational use, names which we may call nomina 
‘usualia,’ always independent names, having no connection or rela- 
tion to classification, to genus, or to specific relationship, but one for 
each species, relating to itself alone. It will be permissible, then, for 
species known by these ‘nomina usualia’ to be arranged freely by 
botanists in their respective systems and transferred at will, to be 
associated in genera and to be reclassified, for under all these changes 
of methods each name would remain unchanged. ” 
Had Ehrhart foreseen the confusion in botanical nomenclature 
that might be caused by his innocent “nomina usualia,” he would 
probably have refrained from his attempt to amuse and accommodate 
his friend Dahl. But surely he did all that could be expected from 
him in the way of explaining his intent, and warning later botanists 
away from the pitfall into which some have blindly walked. It is 
evident, however, that a fresh warning is needed, particularly as 
many of Ehrhart’s * nomina usualia” have found their way as generic 
names into modern nomenclators, and we have with us many who are 
willing to accept without question the thousands of errors that are 
inevitable in works of that character. 
Of course the preceding discussion should not be misinterpreted 
as a criticism of the validity of the various generic names proposed 
as such by Ehrhart in his other writings. His concept of genera and 
species, and the nomenclature of these categories, was by no means 
hazy or erratic. 
New York Ciry. 
PANICUM ALBEMARLENSE IN CoNNECTICUT.—Only two stations 
are given for Panicum albemarlense in the Connecticut Catalogue, 
namely Waterford and Southington. It therefore seems worth while 
to report the species from Franklin. The particular locality where it 
was found is a short, low gravel ridge. This is in fact a veritable 
Panicum “garden.” There are a few Lecheas there, it is true, (L. 
villosa, L. intermedia, L. tenuifolia and L. maritima interior), but 
Panicums make up the bulk of the vegetation. The following 
species occur here: P. tennesseense, P. albemarlense, P. implicatum, 
lElem. Bot. 137. 1764. 
