NAMES OF PLANTS. 93 



elation. On the other hand, we often hear words pronounced 

 in a manner which not only sounds odd, but for which there 

 is no authority of any kind to be found, and which would be 

 universally called incorrect by those qualified to judge. 

 For instance, cot3d'edon instead of cotyle'don; umbil'icus 

 instead of umbili'cus ; Hydrocot'eel instead of Hydrocot'y-le ; 

 maritee'mum instead of marit'imum ; ach'er instead of a'cre. 

 A few illustrations may be given of the uncertain names : 

 Cle'matis is correct, as being spelt in Greek with the 

 long ^, but Clem'atis is far more common, and has long been 

 used, — it is therefore not incorrect ; Clema'tis there is no 

 authority for. Gladiolus is correct; Gladi'olus is not 

 uncommon, and (by usage) may be said to be not incorrect ; 

 Gladiolus is a very common pronunciation, but I know of 

 no book authority for it, and I should call it incorrect. 

 Veroni'ca I believe to be correct, and it is the accent usually 

 given in the books, but Veron'ica is much more common, 

 and is adopted in the last edition of English Botany. 

 Ar'butus is not uncommonly called Arbu'tus ; Eri'ca, Er'ica; 

 (Enothe'ra, CEnoth'era, and so we might go on. The 

 reasons why we may in such like cases prefer a pronuncia- 

 tion as the most correct, are easily illustrated. Thus in the 

 case of Gladiolus the word is Latin, and a diminutive of 

 gladius (a sword) in which the a is short, and this with other 

 diminutives, as Radiola, Corrigiola, is pronounced as first 

 set down, according to undoubted rules of the language. 

 In a word like Veronica I prefer the pronunciation Veroni'ca, 

 — first, because it is that given by the older authorities ; and 

 secondly, because I accept the derivation Hiera Eicon (Holy 

 image), which, if correct, decides the question of pronuncia- 

 tion at once. In placing the accents to the names I have 

 in doubtful cases consulted several authorities, and set down 

 the different pronunciations that have any claim for notice, 

 putting that which seemed to me best first, on the principles 

 just explained. 



