112 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



whose names figure most prominently among the so- 

 called "species makers." Because if these authors were 

 familiar with that branch of botany which is called 

 terminolog}', they would be more scrupulous in estalilish- 

 ing their many species, and they would not detect so 

 many "supposed undescribed." Then it is a common 

 case that authors of new species disregard the conception 

 of a species. Of course, this is a most difficult problem to 

 discuss, and might give rise to endless dispute, but so 

 much is sure, that all plants do possess some amount 

 of individuality expressed by their abilitv to adapt them- 

 selves to different environment as to climate and soil. 

 The field naturalist is well familiar with such problems as 

 the variation of plants, how they change their foliage, 

 their color, hairyness, etc., when growing under various 

 conditions, in the sunlight or in the shade, in dry or 

 moist places, etc. Some plants otherwise glabrous, be- 

 come hairy in shaded places ; some that are naturally 

 rigid and stout, become lax and weak when found in 

 the woods or dense thickets. It is a question of exposure 

 to sunlight or shade that governs the development of 

 such variations, and much more so than the differentia- 

 tion into new and undescribed species. That such local 

 variations may be the ver3^ outset for the formation 

 of varieties is a well known fact, but we know, also, 

 that such plants regain their former stature when grown 

 under proper conditions to which they are naturally 

 adapted. Cultivation has taught us so. 



Another point, which is very often ignored, is that 

 many plants show a wide geographical distribution. 

 Many of our Rocky Mountain species occur, also, in the 

 mountains of Europe and Asia, and it would be very 

 unwise not to consult the foreign floras before establish- 

 ing "new species." It may seem very discouraging, but 

 the truth is, that if our modern systematists would con- 

 sider the geographical distribution of plants, if they 

 would study the laws of phytograph}' and, last, but not 

 least, consider plants as living beings, the number of new 



