THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 41 



the selection of common names the committee has been un- 

 lortunate in a considerable number of instances as when 

 "blooming Sally" is offered in place of the widely-known 

 willow iierb, "snap-weed" for jewel-weed, "potato-bean" for 

 groundnut {Apios) and "trout lily" a fanciful name coined by 

 Burroughs for tiie dog-tooth violet or adder's-tongue. The 

 great white trillium appears as "snow^ trillium" though Tril- 

 liiiiii iiivalc rightly bears this name. The plantain-leaved 

 everlasting is called "pussy-toes" in the list but it is doubtful 

 if the nurseryman can work up enough sentiment to call it 

 by this name. He is more likely to indicate it by another of 

 its names, "moonshine," and thus, at least, be up to date. 

 The list even gives "Chamaedrys Germander" although ger- 

 mander is but another form of chamaedrys. It might also 

 be pointed out that "crow barberry" is not an adequate trans- 

 lation of Bcrberis cmpctrifolia, nor puzzle willow for Salix 

 ainbigua. Nor is Adiantum capillus.-veneris by any twist 

 "southern maiden-hair" for it grows the world around and 

 extends to Dakota on this side of the world and to England 

 on the other. Except for the manufactured "common 

 names" however ."Standardized Plant Names" is a worthy 

 attempt to attach a single technical name to each species and 

 one which bids fair to be successful. The technical botanist 

 is not likely to look with favor upon the project since it robs 

 him of half his stock in trade and disregards "priority" which 

 brings him what C. G. Lloyd calls "personal advertising." 

 15ut the men with money invested in plants can afford to ig- 

 nore the technical botanist. "Standardized Plant Names" is 

 for sale by Harlan P. Kelsey, Salem, Mass., at $5 a copy. 

 This! is probably far below^ the cost of production. The book 

 is from the press of the J. Horace McFarland Company and 

 is an excellent example of book-making. 



