SPECIFIC NAMES. 289 



press something equally certain, but not comprehended 

 in that character, are still more useful, as conveying 

 additional information, like Lvora alba and coccinea, 

 Scleranthus annuus and perennis, Aletris fragranSy 

 Saxifraga cernua, &c. ; for which reason it is often 

 useful that vernacular names should not be mere trans- 

 lations of the Latin ones. Comparative appellations 

 are very good, as Banksia ericifolia, Andromeda sali- 

 cifoUa^, Saxifraga bryoides, Milium cimicimim, Ely- 

 mas Hystrix, Pedicular is Sceptrum. Names which 

 express the local situations of different species are ex- 

 cellent, such as Melampyrum arvensc, pratense, ne- 

 morosum and sylvaticum^ Carex arenaria, uUginosa 

 and sylvatica, as well as aquatica, viaritima, rupestris, 

 alpina, nivalis, used for many plants. But names de- 

 rived from particular countries or districts are liable 

 to much exception, few plants being sufficiently local 

 to justify their use. Thus Ligusticum coimubiense is 

 found, not only in Cornwall, but in Portugal, Italy and 

 Greece ; Schwenkia americana grows in Guinea as 

 well as in South America. Such therefore, though 

 suffered to remain on the authority of Linnaeus, will 

 seldom or never be imitated by any judicious writer, 

 unless TrolUus europceus and asiaticus may justify our 

 naming the third species of that genus, lately brought 



* Some Ijotanists write eriarfolia, salichfolia, lingufeformis, Sec, in- 

 stead of following the analogy of the Latin in forming adjectives with 

 an /, as palmifer iirom palma, a ; hacciferj from bacca, <r ; harbiger, from 

 barha^ <z ; &:c. 



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