74 TWO NEW GENERA OF A:\IARYLLIDACE.E FROM CAPE COLONY. 



of a genus would be perpetually liable to disturbance, whenever it 

 became necessary to import additional species from other genera, 

 the specific portions of the names of which might then take pre- 

 cedence by theii- greater antiquity over those already estabhshed in 

 the genus. 



The considerations stated above expose some difficulties and 

 objections not of isolated occuiTcnce but of a general nature, 

 so that they are capable of establishing fan- and reasonable 

 arguments against making this disputed law of nomenclature, and 

 are not merely incidental cases of hardship exceptionally detected in 

 the course of operation of a necessary and w^ell- established law ; 

 they, therefore, can and ought to be permitted to have their full 

 weight in this matter. 



Professor Caruel aptly appeals to the practice of Linn^us and 

 of succeeding botanists, and contends that when the first word of 

 a botanical name is taken away the w^hole name falls to the 

 ground. As Linnsus himself expressed it, "Nomen specificum 

 sine generico est quasi campana sine pistillo ;" and when a new 

 generic name is prefixed to the same affix, agreement is, a prion, 

 doubtful. 



We in this country can point with pride to the great and 

 brilliant additions recently made to systematic botany by our 

 own botanists, and can show that they almost all, without 

 exception, have seen no necessity for the law now sought to be 

 imposed on us ; for while they are ever ready to maintain the 

 specific member of a name when possible and convenient, yet they 

 practically assert then- liberty to alter it whenever, on removing it 

 to another genus, it seems to them right or preferable to do so. 

 This liberty, so distinctly handed down to us, is more necessary 

 than a law to repeal it; it is no undue license, it is often extremely 

 useful, and we must not be deprived of it. 



ON TWO NEW GENEEA OF AMARYLLIDACEuE FROM 



CAPE COLONY. 



By'J. G. Baker, F.L.S. 



Apodolirion, B((kcr. Flowers solitary, sessile in a membranous 

 spathe from the top of the bulb. Perianth erect, symmetrical, 

 with a long cylinchical tube, and an erect funnel-shaped limb with 

 six equal ascending lanceolate or oblong segments, finely nerved all 

 over the back, not specially keeled. Stamens distinctly biseriate, 

 three inserted at the throat of the tube, and three a shoi*t space 

 above the base of the segments ; filaments short, filiform ; anthers 

 linear, basifixed, erect, sagittate at the base. Ovary clavate, three- 

 celled; ovules several in a cell, horizontal, superposed. Style 

 filiform, a httle longer than the perianth-tube ; stigma simple, 

 capitate. Fruit unknown. Root -stock a tunic ated bulb ; leaves 

 synanthous or hysteranthous ; flowers delicate in textm-e, mode- 

 rately large, whitish or pale red. 



