THE FIFTY YEARS* LIMIT IN NOMENCLATURE. 93 



des ein Jalir jiingeren Namens Odina Roxb. zuriickgesetzt ; somit 

 muss Lannea A. Rich, bleiben.'"'' 



Considering how recently Prof. Engler himself gave additional 

 currency to Gahsiam by adding to it several new species, it is 

 somewhat strange to learn on his authority that does not even 

 "come under consideration"; and as the IS! at. Pfianzenfamilien 

 takes rank as the most important modern contribution to our 

 knowledge of systematic botany, it might have been well to ex- 

 plain that the law which so excludes the name is a brand-new 

 one "made in Germany," and only subscribed to by some of the 

 botanists in Berlin. 



But it is pertinent to inquire how far the restoration of Lannea 

 is in accordance with the rule in question. We confess that, 

 assuming the fact to be as stated — and we are aware that Lannea 

 dates from 1831, although the title-page of the volume in which it 

 appears is dated 1830-33 — we should ourselves prefer the name 

 Lannea to Odina. Yet not only has Lannea not been in general use 

 during fifty years counted from the date of " its establishment," but, 

 on the contrary, it has been allowed to lapse for more than half a 

 century since it was established, being always during that period 

 cited only as a synonym. Moreover, it is necessary to consider the 

 second half of the rule, which modifies and governs the preceding. 

 In no "monograph or large flora" has Lannea been more than 

 mentioned as a synonym. On the other hand, Odina has been 

 universally accepted in floras and monographs until recently, and 

 in particular by Prof. Engler in his monograph of the order in 

 1883 and subsequently in Nat. Pfianzenfamilien in 1892. It would 

 appear, therefore, that, according to the novel Berlin rule, Odina 

 should be preferred to Lannea. 



At the xoresent time, therefore, this genus possesses three — or 

 four, if we reckon the Kuntzean alteration of the spelling of 

 Calesiain — names, each of which has received the sanction of a 

 school of nomenclaturists. According to the "Rochester Code," 

 Calesiam would be employed, and this name has been used by Mr. 

 Hiern in the Welwitsch Catalogue (where four new species are 

 referred to it) ; the Kuntzean school will call it Calesiwn; the mode 

 of convenience favoured by Kew would retain Odina; while the 

 Berlin practice, as we have seen, adopts Lannea. A new species, 

 therefore, may be described under either of these names, according 

 to the centre from which it is promulgated; and it will thus be 

 necessary to look under each of these names to see whether any new 

 species has appeared. 



On this point, however, there is no need to theorize, as Prof. 

 Engler himself has supplied us with sufficient examples, inasmuch 

 as he has transferred the whole of the species described by himself 

 and others under Odina and Calesiam (or Calesium) to Lannea. One 



* " Since the older names Calesiam and HaberUa do not come under con- 

 sideration, they may be neglected. Lannea A. Kich. was, however, formerly 

 illegally set aside by Endlicher in favour of Odina Koxb., a younger name by a 

 year ; Lannea A. Kich. must therefore remain," — Nat. Pjianzenfam., Nachtrage 

 zu Teil ii.-iv. 213. 



