VOL. I. INTRODUCTION. xi 



ous, as Cling-rascal (Galium Aparine) or Wait-a-bit (Smilax rotundifolia) ; and in some the 

 corruptions are amusing, as Aunt Jerichos (N. Eng.) from Angelica. The words Horse, 

 Ox, Dog, Bull, Snake, Toad are often used as a prefix to denote size, coarseness, worthless- 

 ness or aversion. ' Devil or Devil's is used as a prefix for upwards of 40 of our plants, mostly 

 expressive of dislike or of some traditional resemblance or association. A number of names 

 have been contributed by the Indians, such as Chinquapin, Wicopy, Pipsissewa, Wankapin, 

 etc. ; while the term Indian, evidently a favorite, is applied as a descriptive prefix to upwards 

 of 80 different plants. 



There should be no antagonism in the use of scientific and popular names, since their 

 purposes are quite different. Science demands certainty and universality, and hence a single 

 universal name for each plant. For this the Latin has been adopted, and the Latin name 

 should be used, when only scientific objects are sought. But the vernacular names are a part 

 of the growth and development of the language of each people. Though these names are 

 sometimes indicative of specific characters and hence scientifically valuable, they are for the 

 most part not at all scientific, but utilitarian, emotional or picturesque. As such, they are 

 invaluable; not for science, but for the common intelligence, and the appreciation and enjoy- 

 ment of the plant world. These names, in truth, reflect the mental attitude of each people, 

 throughout its history, toward the plant kingdom; and the thoughts, suggestions, affections 

 or emotions which it has aroused in them. If these are rich and multitudinous, as in the 

 Anglo-Saxon race, so will the plant-names be also. 



Usually the most common or the favorite plants have a variety of names; but this is 

 noticeably otherwise with the Asters and the Golden-i;ods, of which there are about 125 

 species within our area, the common names of which, considering their abundance and variety, 

 are comparatively few. The Golden-rods, without distinction, are also known as Yellow- 

 weed or Yellow-tops; the Asters are called also Frost-weed, Frost-flowers, Good-bye Summer 

 and by the Onandaga Indians, " It brings the Frost." A few like Aster ericoides have several 

 interesting names, but most of the species in each genus resemble each other so much that 

 not a quarter of the species have suggested to the popular apprehension any distinctive name; 

 while other less showy plants, like the Pansy (Viola tricolor), the Marsh Marigold (Caltha 

 palustris), the Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens biflora), Bluets (Houstonia coerulea) and 

 others, have a score of different names. 



In compiling these names, reference has been made to numerous general and special 

 botanical works, to our state and local Floras, to Hobbs' Botanical Handbook (pharma- 

 ceutical), to Beal's, Scribner's and Pammel's works on Grasses, to Sud worth's Arborescent 

 Flora, to Britten and Holland's Dictionary of English Plant Names (London, 1886), and to 

 the valuable papers of Mrs. F. D. Bergen on Popular Plant Names in the Botanical Gazette 

 for 1892, p. 365; for 1893, p. 420; for 1894, p. 429, and for 1896, p. 473. Prof. E. S. Burgess 

 has also supplied about 100 popular names not before noted that are in use at Martha's 

 Vineyard and in Washington, D. C. ; and Mrs. Horner, of Georgetown, Mass., and Miss 

 Bartlett, of Haverhill, Mass., have each contributed some. 



Pronunciation. 



In botanical names derived from Greek or Latin words, their compounds, or derivatives, 

 the accent, according to the ordinary rule, is placed upon the penultimate syllable, if it is 

 long in Latin quantity ; otherwise, upon the antepenult. Many names, however, have been 

 given to plants in honor of individuals, which, having nothing Latin about them except the 

 terminal form, and the pronunciation given to them by botanical authors being diverse, are 

 here accented like the names of the persons, so far as euphony will permit. This rule is fol- 

 lowed because it is believed to agree with the prevailing usage among botanists in ordinary 

 speech; because it is in accord with the commemorative object of such names, which ought 

 not to be obscured by a forced and unnatural pronunciation ; and because the test applied to 

 words properly Latin, viz., the usage of the Latin poets, cannot be applied to words of this 

 class. We therefore give Torreyi, Vaseyi, Careyi, Jamesii, Alleni, rather than Torreyi, 

 Vaseyi, Careyi, Jamesii, Alleni. 



The acute accent is used to denote the short English sound only; as in bat, bet, bid, not, 

 nut; the grave accent, to denote either of the other English sounds, whether long, broad or 

 open ; as a in bale, ball, bar, bare, laud ; e in eve, there ; i in pine, pique, machine ; o in note, 

 move ; in pure, rude. The accent for the short or longer English sound is based upon cur- 



