124 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



bulbs of tbis latter are very nnicb like tbe strong bolding 

 teetb of tbe dog and undoubtedly gives rise to tbe specific 

 name. Molet, it may be observed originally referred to an\- 

 brigbt flower bence we bave a varietv of violets tbat we no 

 longer call sucb, as dame's ^•iolet, (Hcs[>cris iiiafronalis), bog 

 violet (Piuguiciila I'lilgaris) , false violet {Daliharda rcpcns) 

 and even Bfilol'iiini wbicli is translated "vicilet on a pod." 



Common Names of Heathworts. — Commenting- on 

 tbe plant names in tbe Ericaceae recently publisbed in tbi.^ 

 magazine, a correspondent in Wasbington writes: I note 

 tbat you say tbat Khododcudrou iini.riiiiuiit is called "rose- 

 bay." Tbis is very surprising inasmucb as tbe flowers are 

 never anytbing more tban a sbell ])ink. Rose-bay is gener- 

 ally applied to Rliododcudrou cataicbiciisc tbat splendid, red- 

 disb-purple flowered species wbicb covers so many square, 

 miles upon tbe alpine summits of tbe bigbest Appalacbians. 

 (cf. Gray's Manual, p. 632, wbicb, as far as it goes in com- 

 mon names, is generally rigbt.) In Nortb Carolina bow- 

 ever tbe people never by any cbance call Rhododendron 

 Cafaicbicnsc anytbing but rbododendron ; to tbem it is not t? 

 1 bododendron, but tlic one and only rbododendron. "Rose- 

 bay" smacks more of tbe old world, of books, and florists* 

 excbanges ; it bas not tbe ring of a name springing from our 

 Soil. Rhododendron ina.vimnin tbev call "laurel." And wbo 

 can sav tbev are not rigbt? Tbey are just as nuicb entitled 

 to call it laurel as we are to call Kalniia "laurel." for in \'ery 

 trutb neitber of tbem are tbe laurel of tbe old world, nor any- 

 where near it. Tbey call Kahnia "i\y," and tbis is quite as 

 sensible as our calling it laurel, tbougb tbe name calico-busb 

 is also used tbere antl is distinctly preferable because it is 

 specific and endemic and quaintly I)ut quite brilliantly de- 

 scriptive. Bpigaea repens, wbicb in New England is gener- 



