T64 THE SCIENTIFIC XAME OF THE FLORIDA VELVET BEAN". 



'' It would have been useful to the many Agricultural Scientists 

 who have not ready access to the Journal of the Asiatic Society 

 of Bengal, if Miss Bort had quoted the reasons given by such a 

 well-known Botanist as Colonel Prain, for considering Siizolobi^im 

 tofbe generically distinct from Mncnna. The characters given by 

 Miss Bort as distinguishing the two so-called genera, seem to us 

 insufficient to warrant greater segregation than into sub-genera. 



Secondly, as to the specific differences between ntilis. and 

 Deeringianum, these are stated to be as follows : — 



Dccriiisidii ": ' . 



3 ill- 



" Not so -wide." 

 More cyhndrical and IjUuit 

 at t]\e ends, less prononn- 

 cedly falcate, and not so 

 decidedly rideed longi- 

 { tudinally. 



Pubescence of pod . . Thin, " Appressed. and Dense, velvety and very 

 almost silky " hairy. soft. 



Shape of seed .. Long, oval and flattened. . Almost spherical. 



Size of seed . . Large . . . . . . Smaller. 



•Colour of seed . . Not mottled nor speckled. ^Mottled and speckled. 



Judging by the varietal differences between other cultivated 

 species of Leguminosse {e.g., the Cowpea. the Soybean, various 

 sorts of garden bean, etc.) the above differences are not of more 

 -than varietal worth. 



I fail to see the advantage of basing genera and species on such 

 slender differences alone ; on the other hand, it tends to destroy 

 the utility of the Linnean system of botanical nomenclature which 

 preserves to us a certain sense of the relationship of genera, species 

 and varieties which is of great practical value. After all. the sole 

 raison d'etre of a system of nomenclature is the' convenience of 

 those who use it. 



One cannot help regretting that if a new specific name had to be 

 given, the author of it did not choose one more appropriate to the 

 subject. " William Deering, of Cocoanutgrove, Florida." may 

 liave had something to do with the introduction of the Florida 

 Velvet-bean to the notice of the scientific agricultural world, and 

 if so this fact might have been mentioned, otherwise another name 

 would have been preferable. 



The method of presentation of the facts compiled is somewhat 

 loose ; e.g. on p. 32 it is simply stated that " the original source 

 ■of the species is unknown," without reference to the information 

 furnished by Mr. Carleton that it was " introduced with coffee 

 seed,'' and on another specimen " introduced from Tropical 

 America or West Indies," as quoted on p. 25, and which may 

 furnish a clue to the origin of the species. It is to be hoped that 

 comparison of specimens of Muciina from the West Indies and 

 other parts of tropical America, in the European herbaria, will 

 lead to the discovery of the native country of this interesting 

 plant. The botanical collections being made in the West Indies, 

 for the New York Botanical Garden, may also throw light on tlie 

 subject. 



