378 " REMARKS ON 



illustrating the impregnation of plants, which 

 the remarkable form and union of its anthers 

 serve to indicate ; while Smithia scnsitiva, 

 named by Mr. Dryander* in the Hortus 

 Kewensis of our mutual friend Aiton, could 

 at that time be merited only by an original 

 treatise on the Irritability of Plants -j-, to 

 which the specific name happily alludes. 



The generic name being fixed, the specific 

 one is next to be considered. With respect- 

 to this, Rivinus has the merit of originality, 

 having been the first to contrive naming each 

 plant in two words. But his names were 

 meant for specific definitions, for which they 

 are totally inadequate. Linnaeus, in construct- 

 ing his more accurate and full specific cha- 

 racters, intended the latter should serve as 

 names, and therefore called them nomina 

 specified. When he, most fortunately for 

 the science and for the popularity of his whole 

 System of Nature, invented the present sim- 

 ple specific names, he called them nomina 

 trivialia, trivial, or for common use; but 

 that term is now superfluous. 



* Salisb. Hort. 342. f fW. Trans- for 1788* 



