275 



Jussieu's name of Cordyline is, however, antedated by that of 

 Taetsiay founded upon Dracaena ferrea, Linn. {Cordyline termin- 

 alis, Kunth), published by Medikus {Theodora, p, 82) in 1786. 



From the above it is clear that in accordance with priority the 

 names of the two genera in question should stand as follows : 



Cordyline, Adans. 1763 (syn. Sansevieria, Thunb. 1794). 

 Taetsia, Medik. 1786 (syn. Cordyline, Juss. 1789). 



But as at the Vienna Congress of 1905 it was decided to retain 

 the names Cordyline and Sansevieria for use in the sense they are 

 now employed, it is not here proposed to make any alteration with 

 regard to them. At the same time, however, my personal vie-w 

 of the case would be to abolish the use of the name Cordyline 

 altogether, in consequence of the great confusion connected with 

 it, and replace it by that of Taetsia. 



This change would cause very little inconvenience, as the 

 species of Cordyline are not of great economic importance, and 

 under cultivation are mostly known by the name oi Dracaena. 



With regard to the name Sansevieria, the case is different. It 

 is a name in common use in gardens and throughout the warmer 

 regions of the world, where various species of this genus are 

 largely sought for on account of the very valuable fibre they 

 yield, and a change of name for garden and commercial purposes 

 would not be adopted. 



The distinguishing characteristics of the four genera above 

 mentioned are summarised in the following synopsis. In all of 

 them the pedicels are jointed : 

 Ovary with 2-16 ovules in each cell. Trees or 



shrubs. Leaves stiff or thin and flexible, but not 



fleshy. 



riowers paniculate, usually ^ solitary, 



rarely 2 or 3 together, very rarely crowded into 

 spikes, each wdth one bract and 2 bractec-les 



» r 9 



forming an involucre at its base 

 Ovary with 1 ovule in each cell. Each flow^er with 

 only 1 bracteole or 1 bract and 1 bracteole at its 

 base, but when the flowers are clustered the 

 bracts and bracteoles are mingled with the 

 pedicels. 



Perianth divided into 6 segments nearly to 

 the base, without an evident tube except 

 such as is formed by the overlapping mar- 

 Trees or shrubs, 

 eaves thick and rigid or sub-fleshy, stifly 

 coriaceous or thin and flexible. Plowers 

 paniculate, arranged in clusters at the nodes 

 of the branches. Filaments of the stamens 



Cordyline 



ins of the segments. 



thickened at the middle 



• ■ 



« • 



Dracaena. 



Perianth with the segments united below into 

 a distinct tube at least one-third as long 

 as or sometimes longer than the lobes. 

 Flowers paniculate or in a spike-like raceme 

 along an unbranched axis or in a dense spike 

 or head, solitary or in pairs or clusters. 

 Filaments of the stamens filiform. 



