VII 

 NAMING OF PLANTS 



THE real or technical names of plants, which at first appear 

 long and unpronounceable, are in reality simple when the 

 system of naming is understood. Every plant has a generic and 

 a specific name. The generic name is analogous to the surname of 

 a person, such as Smith or Jones. The specific name is analogous 

 to the Christian name of a person, such as John or James. The 

 specific name never stands alone, and would have as little desig- 

 nating character as John or James . 



This is called the binomial (two-name) nomenclature. It was 

 introduced by Linnaeus, and greatly simplified the system of 

 naming. The rule in scientific nomenclature is that all names 

 must be Latin or Latinized. This gives a universal language by 

 which scientists of all countries understand one another. 



The names of classes (the highest groups) and subclasses are 

 adjectives or adjective nouns, expressing the most prominent 

 characteristic of the class or subclass. Thus the four subclasses 

 of the class Algce are : 



(';/(( nophycece (subclass of blue-green algas). 



Chlorophycece (subclass of grass-green alga?). 



PJiwophycece (subclass of dusky-brown or olive-green algas). 



Rhodophycetv or Floridece (subclass of red alga 1 ). 



Orders are, with few exceptions, the names of genera with the 

 termination -acew, as : 



Ulvacece, from the genus Ulva. 



Ectocarpacece, from the genus Ectocarpus. 



Gigartinacece, from the genus Gigartina. 



28 



