£92 liBMARKS ON 



In pursuance of the same idea Dicksonia^ a beautiful 

 and curious fern, is well devoted to our great cryptoga- 

 jniist ; Knappia, a small and singular grass, to an author 

 celebrated for his minute and curious drawings of that 

 tribe ; Spi'engeliay to one distinguished for illustrating 

 the impregnation of plants, which the remarkable form 

 and union of its anthers serve to indicate ; while Smithia 

 sensiiiva, named by Mr. Dryandei-^^- in the Hortus Kew- 

 ensis of our mutual f; lend Alton, could at that time be 

 merited only by an original treatise on the Irritability of 

 Plantsf, 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, Linnjeus, in constructing his more accu- 

 rate and full specific characters, intended the latter 

 should serve as names, and therefore called them nomina 

 speciHca. When he, most fortunately for the science 

 and for the popularity of his whole System of Nature, 

 invented the present simple specific names, he called 

 them nomina trivialia, trivial, or for common use ; but 

 that term is now superfluous. 



Specific names should be formed on similar princi- 

 ples to the generic ones ; but some exceptions arc al- 

 lowed, not only without inconvenience, but with great 

 advantage. Such as express the essential specific char- 

 acter are unexceptionable, as Banksia serrata, integrifa. 



» Salisb. Hort. 542. | Phil. TraJts.for 1788. 



