EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC NAMES. 163 
In the New Zealand flora the kauri (Agathis australis) is a little 
species, but as there is no other tree which comes at all close to it 
it stands by itself as a species. On the other hand, the lancewood 
(Pseudopanax crassifolium) is an aggregate species: there is nothing 
in nature which answers to its botanical description. What does exist 
in nature are the two varieties of which the “ species ” is composed— 
the varieties unifoliata and trifoliata—this last a rather rare plant. If 
a botanist who describes plants were so inclined he could “‘ make ” 
these into two species, but one would require to have for its second 
name “‘crassifolium,”’ since this name has been already used, while 
to the other he could give a name of his own choosing. Cases such 
as this lead to differences of opinion as to what is called “ specific 
rank.” It matters, however, but little whether a plant be called 
a “species”? or a “ variety’’ so long as the name represents a 
distinct group of individuals which can be readily recognized. 
99 
99 
If a number of species agree in certain particulars so that it seems 
likely they have descended from some common ancestor, they are 
said to belong to the same genus, the next wider group of plants. 
Suppose you find a number of plants which, although they differ 
much in stature, shape of leaves, habit of growth, size and colour 
of flowers, yet all have four petals, eight stamens, the calyx-tube 
attached to the ovary, and after flowering they produce a narrow 
elongated four-angled capsule which splits open from the apex down- 
wards into four sections, revealing a large number of seeds each 
provided with a tuft of hairs at the apex, then all those plants will 
belong to the genus Hpilobium (fig. 93). These plants, again, will 
differ greatly amongst themselves; but groups having distinguish- 
ing marks for each group can be found, and such groups will each 
represent a species, which may be either a little species or a collection 
of such, as is frequently the case in this genus. There are in New 
Zealand between thirty and forty species of Hpilobiwm, which are 
distinguished from one another by distinctive marks, and each bears 
a name, the so-called specific name—e.g., glabellum, Hectori, pubens— 
which is placed after the generic name Hpilobium. 
Originally the second, or specific, name of a species had a meaning 
which was supposed to be appropriate to the particular plant, though 
frequently it was nothing of the kind; but the number of specific 
names has so greatly increased during the past hundred years that 
it is no longer possible always to find an appropriate appellation, 
