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330 PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
whatever. Some, like Fagus for the Beech genus, and Acer for 
the Maple, are of Latin origin. Others have been latinized 
from other languages. Some have been named after some 
therapeutic property, their roots, leaves, flowers or seeds were 
thought to possess; for example, Jateorhiza, a latinized compound 
of two greek words, idrecpa, healing, + pifa, root, because of the 
healing virtues of the root. A number have had names ascribed 
to them because of some peculiarity of structure, color, taste, odor, 
behavior, habit or appearance of the plant or portion thereof. 
Thus, Eriodictyon (from Gr. €pov, wool + dixrvor, net) alludes 
to its wooly, netted veined leaves; Melaleuca (from Gr. pé\as, 
black, + Aevxds, white) alludes to the black bark of the trunk and 
white bark of the branches; Marrubium (from Hebrew marrob, 
bitter) refers to its bitter sap; Barosma (from Gr. Baptis, heavy 
+ ooyuy, odor) in allusion to its strong smell; Epifagus (from Gr. 
éri, upon + Lat. Fagus, the beech) alludes to its growth on the 
roots of that tree; Impatiens (from Lat. in, not and patiens, endur- 
ing) refers to the sudden bursting of the capsules of this genus 
when touched; Lycopodium (from Gr. \bcos, a wolf, + zods, a foot) 
pertains to the appearance of the shoots of this genus. Many 
have been named in honor of eminent naturalists or ‘friends of 
these, or other noted persons. For example, Collinsonia was 
named in honor of Peter Collinson, an English botanist of the 
18th century; Dvzoscorea in honor of Dioscorides, the Greek 
naturalist; Paullinia after Paullini, a German botanist of the 17th 
century; Cinchona in honor of the countess of Chinchon, who 
brought the bark to Europe in 1640, and Jeffersonia, in honor of 
Thomas Jefferson. 
Speciric EpirHet.—The specific epithets are for the most 
part adjectives which agree with the names of genera to which 
they belong in case, gender, etc. They may, however, be nouns 
and in a few instances consist of two nouns or a noun and an 
adjective. If an adjective, it should begin with a small letter, 
as in Rhus glabra and Evonymus atropurpureus. This holds if it is 
drawn from a geographical name, ¢.g. Rubus allegheniensis. 
When the specific epithet is a noun, it may either be a proper 
noun in the genitive case when it should begin with a capital, 
as Garcinia Hanburyi; or it may be a common noun in. the geni- 
tive, when it should begin with a small letter, as Grindelia cam- 
