GENERIC RULES. 89 



This is an instance of the difficulties occur- 

 ring in generic nomenclature : similar cases 

 abound, and become comphcated by the diti'er- 

 ent views taken of tiie matter by the various 

 botanists. Thus CentmtrcUa a bad name of 

 Michaux, made worse still by Persoon Qcntaii- 

 riutn, both derived from Vcntaiirea, was chang- 

 ed to Bartonia by Wildonow ; but some bot- 

 anists dissented and made another ISartonia, 

 while Andrcwsla was proposed for the first 

 bartonia-, but there was another Andrewslal 

 then Nuitalia was soon after proposed ; which 

 is not deemed a genus, but a mere subgenus of 

 Sida^ yet it has been called Calirhoe also, 

 which is a name already applied to a genus of 

 animals, and the 2d Bartonia was made a 

 Torrcya! while there are two other Torreyas ! 

 What a heap of ambiguities ! yet they could be 

 avoided by attending to the generic rules confirm- 

 ing the first Bartonia of Wild, and my Nuttal- 

 lia of 1817 for the second Bartonia. 



Therefore it is obvious that correct Nomen- 

 clature is an art based in scientific principles, 

 and that all dubious or deffective names arise 

 from neglect of such rules of this branch of 

 Botany. Thence we may distinguish 3 series 

 of generic names — 



1. Good Names, including excellent names, 

 Defining Names, Appropriate — Dedicated — Ac- 

 curate — Early greek — Ancient — Compounded— 

 Easy Names »Slc. 



2. Indifferent Names including unmeaning 

 Names, Anomalous — Contradictory — Transfer- 

 ed — Equivocal — Latinized- — Synonymic — Mi- 

 neralogical — Anagramic — Religious — Geogra- 

 phical — Mythological Names &/C. 



3. Bap Names including Erroneous Names, 



