X NOTE ON BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE 



Very occasionally the merging of one genus in another means that 

 the name of a species must be changed too, so as to avoid having two of 

 the same name iu the geaas (vol 1, p. 246) or the converse may happen, 

 and on account of a change in the genus the speciss name previously 

 * reduced' may now be restored : but both these changes are rare. 



After the two names it is customary to add the name of the author of 

 the combination, so as to obviate confusion between the plant meant and 

 another to which the same names have perhaps been given in ignorance or 

 error by a later botanist. 



It will thus be seen that however much we may sometimes be inclined 

 to deplore the passing away of some well-established name like viscum, 

 or the use of an ugly one like syzygium, changes are made only when 

 necessitated either by historical research or by a change of view brought 

 about by fresh discoveries : and though the^e due to purely historical 

 reasons must become fewer and fewer till in time they finally cease to 

 appear. So long as the science is a living one there must always be new 

 discoveries and new points of view. The systematic naming of plants 

 can no more be fixed than any other branch of science. 



