238 i-ASSIFICATION. 



Linnasus has in several instances drawn a fanciful 

 analogy between botanists and their appropriate plants, 

 thus — 



Bauhinia, after the two distinguished brothers, John 

 and Caspar Bauhin, has a two lobed or twin leaf. 



Scheuchzeria^ a grassy Alpine plant, commemorates 

 the two Scheuchzers, one of whom excelled in tiie 

 knowledge of Alpine productions, the other in that of 

 Grasses. 



Dorstenia, with its obselete flowers devoid of all 

 beauty, alludes to the antiquated and uncouth book of 

 Dorstenius. 



Hernandia, an American plant, the most beautiful of 

 all trees in its foliage, but furnished with trifling blos- 

 soms, bears the name of a botanist highly favoured by 

 fortune, and allowed an ample salary for the purpose 

 of investigating the Natural History of the Western 

 world, but whose labours have not answered the ex- 

 pense. On the contrary 



Magnolia with its noble leaves and flowers, and 



Dillenia with its beautiful blossoms and fruit, serve 

 to immortalize two of the most meritorious among bot- 

 anists. 



Linncea, " a depressed, abject, Lapland (and Ameri- 

 can) plant, long overlooked, flowering at an early age, 

 was named by Gronovius after its prototype Linnaeus." 



Specific names should be formed on similar princi- 

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

 lowed, not only without inconvenience, but with great 

 advantage. Such as express the essential specific cha- 

 racter are unexceptionable ; but perhaps those which 

 express something certain, but not comprehended in 

 that character, are still more useful, as conveying ad- 

 ditional information, for which reason it is often useful 



