NOMENCLATURE Bl 



The starting point of classification of all Basidiomycetes, except 

 the TremeUineae, is Volume 1 (1821) of the Systeiiia. The 

 classification of the TremeUineae and of the Discomycetes begins 

 in Volume 2, Part 1 (1822). The classification of the Pyreno- 

 mycetes and Sphaeropsidaceae starts in Volume 2, Part 2 (1823); 

 that of the Phy corny cetes and Hyphomycetes, in Volume 3, 

 Part 2 (1832). ' . 



The generic name is a noun or substantive, the initial letter of 

 which is always capitalized; the species name is adjectival, agrees 

 in gender with the generic name, is either nominative or genitive 

 in case, and normally is not capitalized. Some specific names are 

 bestowed in honor of persons or places, and some authorities 

 capitalize all such names, whereas others consistently begin them 

 with a lowxr-case letter. Accord in this matter is of little real 

 consequence, certainly not to the extent of fancying that an ant- 

 hill is a mountain. It is quite unfortunate, however, that generic 

 names of hosts have been used as specific names, especially of 

 pathogenic fungi, for the reason that experimentation reveals a 

 wide host range for some species. In consequence many such 

 specific names must eventually be reduced to synonymy. For 

 the purpose of precision the name of the person who first pub- 

 lished the binomial follows the name of the organism. If the 

 name is subsequently changed, this fact is indicated by placing in 

 parentheses the name of the person who published the first de- 

 scription and following it immediately with the name of the 

 person who changed the name. 



One excellent rule requires the description of all species in 

 Latin. Latin has the advantages of being a dead language, of 

 being exact in meaning of terms, and of being a tool of all 

 scholars. Objections to its employment would vanish like "a 

 cloud of mist smitten by the sun" if the objector were compelled 

 to translate descriptions of fungi from the Arabic, Slavic, or some 

 of the less frequently encountered Oriental languages. 



Another very important provision in the rules deals with the 

 naming of fungi with pleomorphic life cycles. Naturally the 

 different states or stages of the same species have been given dif- 

 ferent names. It has been agreed that pleomorphic fungi can 

 bear only one binomial, and the earliest name given to the perfect 

 form, beginning with Persoon's Synopsis or Fries's Systeuw, is 

 the accepted one. The perfect form is indicated to be that 



