81 
dom when in fact none of the men had either the knowledge or 
acumen or even a small part of that of Gray, but their claims were 
pure botanical buncomb, to deceive the minds of the uninitiated. 
we come to examine the proposed new genera we find them 
in nearly every case clearly defined a generation ago by others as 
groups or subgenera, or in some of the recent discoveries were so 
recognized by Gray or Watson. We know the motive in man 
against the Grayan conception of genus and species are the very 
ones at the bottom of the greatest institutional and personal jeal- 
: fair 
c 
ority ou 
means of pu) lication. 
aried ac- 
cording to our interpretation of the importance of certain char- 
acters. and this variability is due to ignorance of the conditions 
under which the plants grow, particularly aridity, alkalinity, and 
high temperatures. This is more noticeable among species. Let 
us take up a few cases of genera. Among the Conifere we find 
Engelmann, Small and Rydberg working. Engelmann was a 
man of rine experience, wide travel, and keen judgment who had 
studied all the plants from germination to maturity and in their 
hahitat. Opposed to him are two yourg men with very little ex- 
