SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



NAMES OF PLANTS: CLASSIFICATION. 



In a general way we designate the objects around us by single 

 names. We speak of a stone, a wolf, or a pine; but to distinguish the 

 kinds we naturallj^ use two names, as lime stone, sand stone; grey wolf, 

 prairie wolf; nut pine, yellow pine, etc. This is one step in classifica- 

 tion, and the only one commonly taken. This natural plan of double 

 names was adopted by the great naturalist, Linnaeus, who gave names to 

 most European plants, as well as to many of this continent. He wisely 

 gave the Latin form to his names, since that language (being the base of 

 most languages spoken in civilized countries) is the natural source of cos- 

 mopolitan names — those truly common to all people. Botanical names, 

 then, differ from so-called common names principally in form, and they 

 have these decided advantages: they more exactly represent the rela- 

 tions between kinds of plants, and they are names that are common to 

 people of all languages. In short, they are the true common names. 



It is not true that botanical names are harder than local names. The most com- 

 mon of our ornamental plants are well known by their scientific names. Xo one thinks 

 of calling the following botanical names hard : Geranium; Aster; Verbena; Petunia; Por, 

 tulaca; Crocus; Phlox; Fuchsia; Iris; Magnolia; Oxalis; Azalea; Dahlia; Lobelia; Ar- 

 nica, etc. jSIost people talk familiarly of Camellias, Callas, Begonias, Acacias; etc. : 

 while our beautiful California plants, Clarkia, Collinsia, Eschscholtzia Nemophila, etc., 

 are well known by their proper names — at least, in other countries. 



Generic Names correspond to the second parts of the compound com- 

 mon names, as oak, pine, rose, etc. Some of these are the old Greek or 

 Latin names of the plant. Most generic names are either derived from 

 Greek or Latin words descriptive of some peculiarity of the plant, or they 

 are commemorative of some botanist, as Thysanocarpus, from Greek 

 words meaning fringe and pod; Kelloggia, in honor of Dr. A. Kellogg, a 

 veteran botanist of this coast. Sometimes genera are named in honor of 

 those who are not botanists, as Fremontia, Hollisteria, etc. 



