A POINT IN BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. 53 



a very long, slender, slightly scabrid style. The Uttle beaked 

 bulbous enlargements of the root fibres (Journ. Bot. 1868, p. 321) 

 which characterise this plant abounded ; from them are evidently 

 developed the plants of the ensuing season. There are also 

 frequently found at the base of the tufts, and surrounded by the 

 stems, comparatively large hard dark purplish bulbillaB, composed 

 of transparent membranous sheaths, enclosing a small black 

 granular nucleus. The plant must in all its localities be so 

 frequently submerged that it is probably rarely propagated by 

 seed. 



Fohjpogon 7no7ispeliensis, Desf. This beautiful grass is abundant 

 along the shore of Little Sea. 1 hoped when I found it that I had 

 made an interesting addition to the local flora, but I find Mr. 

 Mansel-Pleydell has recorded its discovery in this locality subse- 

 quently to the publication of his ' Flora ' (Journ. Bot. 1875, p. 275). 



Mentha, sylvestris, L. This plant is recorded as probably extinct 

 in the county. I certainly gathered it some three or four years ago 

 on the banks of the stream just above Yeovil Junction Station. 

 Perhaps some botanist waiting there as I was for his train will 

 confirm the locality. 



A POINT IN BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. 



By James Britten, F.L.S. 



From time to time prominence has been given in this Journal 

 to questions connected w^ith botanical nomenclatm-e, in the dis- 

 cussion of which much interest has been manifested. The subject 

 is one of such importance to working botanists that I do not think 

 it necessary to apologise for drawing attention to a point in which, 

 as it seems to me, the practice existing and gaining ground among 

 English botanists is opposed to one of the ' Lois de la Nomencla- 

 ture Botanique ' formulated by M. DeCandolle. It may, of course, 

 be desirable that the law should be set aside — on that I am now 

 expressing no opinion ; but if it is to be . regarded as existing 

 and binding, it should not be recklessly broken, or passed by as 

 unworthy of notice. 



The law to which I refer is that which deals with the authority 

 for the name of a species. It runs thus : — 



"Art. 50. — Les noms publics d'apres un document inedit, tel 

 qu'un herbier, une collection non distribuee, etc., sont precises par 

 I'addition du nom de I'auteur qui public, malgre I'indicationcontraire 

 qu'il a pu donner. De meme les noms usites dans les jardins sont 

 precises par la mention du i^remier auteur qui les public." 



There can be no doubt that the first impression which this law 

 conveys is that the original describer or definer of a species is 

 treated somewhat unfairly if his connection with the plant is prac- 

 tically passed over, in favour of some one who happens to pub- 

 lish the name, or it may be the description, which he has found 



