260 TtrE JOUllXAL OF BOTAIS^T 



" nomen conservanduni " against all rivals, two corollaries follow: the 

 list of " noinina rejicienda " is absolutel}^ superiluous, and the list of 

 " nomina conservanda " should include not only generic names now- 

 known to possess rivals, but the names of all important genera, so 

 that new discoveries of '* nomina priora " will not upset names in 

 current use. 



9. Gender of (jeneric names. — If any attempt is to be made to 

 avoid the " grammatical blunders which dishgure botanical nomen- 

 clature," this is one of the last considerations requiring attention. 

 Plant names, especially generic names and such group-names as Hama- 

 melUloulecB and iMorteeai offend the classical scliolar at every turn. 



It must not be forgotten that a very large proportion — much 

 larger than would be supposed by one who has not devoted particular 

 attention to the subject — of generic names were first proposed with- 

 out a word of explanation concerning their derivation or meaning. 

 In some cases their source is fairly unmistakable, but in many 

 the accepted derivation is mere guess-work, and may at any time 

 prove erroneous. The only safe course seems to be, barring evident 

 or provable errors, to accept the dictum that " a name is a name," 

 and that its author knew as much about its gender as anyone else 

 is likely ever to know. Of course, as Mr. Sprague says, the author 

 sometimes failed to indicate the gender — when he may be assumed 

 to have forfeited the right to the first person who used the name in 

 such a way as to make its gender clear. 



A few exceptions might be permissible, such as those discussed by 

 Mr. Sprague under 9 a, 9 e, 9 d, and 9 E, but I must disagree with 

 9 c : " Indeclinable names borrowed from non-classical languages 

 should be neuter." The inference here seems to be that names 

 borrowed from non-classical languages are therefore indeclinable. 

 Bat the New Latin of science (and theology) is a living language, 

 not a dead one, and it has a growing vocabulary. Even classical 

 Latin incorporated into itself words from other languages, and 

 declined them, and this y^ractice spread with the extension of Koman 

 infiuence in post-classical times. My own view is that any generic 

 name should be treated as declinable if Latin words analogous in 

 form can be discovered. Mr. Sprague gives five examples, assuming 

 that everyone will recognize them as indeclinable. But anyone 

 imbued with the spirit of the Latin language Avould not hesitate to 

 decline most of these. Taonaho, -on is, may follow the declension of 

 bubo, -onis ; Batatas, -ce, that of jEneas, -ce ; Agati, -is, that of 

 Sinapi, -is ; and Anielanchier, -eri, that of puer, -eri. In the case 

 of Maniliot, I know of no analogous Latin word, for the reason that 

 such a word^ if thoroughly Latinized, would have become inevitably 

 Manihos, -otis ; but even in this case it seems to me safe to assunie 

 that if the Latin language had ever taken over such a word in 

 unchano-ed form, it would have been declined Manihot, -otis. In 

 passing, it may be remarked that all fungi growing on Liquidambar 

 and niuned for the host have been called '' Liquidamharis,'' ^Xthow^h 

 the second half of this name is recognized as of Arabic origin. 



In discussions of gender, too, it must be remembered that the 

 crender of Latin and Greek woi-ds was a matter of common consent. 



