OP NOMENCLATURE, 371 



generic names from any other language than 

 the Greek or Latin, ail others beino; esteemed 

 barbarous. Without this rule we should be 

 overwhelmed, not only with a torrent of un- 

 couth and unmanageable words, but we should 

 be puzzled where to fix our choice, as the 

 same plant may have fifty different original 

 denominations in different parts of the world, 

 and we might happen to choose one by which 

 it is least known. Thus the celebrated In- 

 dian plant now proved beyond all doubt to 

 be the Cyamiis of Theophrastus*, having 

 been erroneously reckoned by Linnaeus a 

 ISli/inphcea^ received from Gccrtner, one of 

 the first who well distinguished it as a genus, 

 the Ceylon name of Nelumbo ; which beino* 

 contrary to all rules of science, literature or 

 taste for a generic name, has by others been 

 made into bad Latin as Nehwihium. But 

 the universal Hindu name of the plant is 



* See Ea:o^ Bot.v.l. 60, where the arguments in 

 support of this opinion are given, and Curt. Mag. t. 903, 

 where some of them are with much candour and inge- 

 nuity controverted, though not so as to aher my senti- 

 ments ; nor can any thing justify the use of Nelumlhcni 

 in a scientific work as a generic name. 



2 b2 



