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PLANT FAMILIES AND HIGHER GROUPS 7 
the specific part of the name. Both parts are required to form the 
name of the species. Alba, nigra, etc., by themselves are not names. 
11. The authority. It has sometimes happened that different 
botanists have given different names to plants of the same species, 
and the same name to plants of different species. To avoid any un- 
certainty as to just what plant is meant it is customary in technical 
botanical writings to place after a specific name the name (usually 
abbreviated) of the person or persons who first gave to the plant 
the name adopted. For example, if we write Gypsophila fastigiata L., 
it is plain to a botanist that the species so called by Linnzus is the 
one intended. Linnzus in this case is called the authority for the 
name. In popular or elementary books, like the present, authorities 
are usually omitted for the reason that only plants well known to 
botanists are apt to be mentioned, and the authorities for these may 
readily be found in the more technical botanies in case of need. 
12. Plant families and higher groups. On the same 
principle that similar species form a genus, similar genera 
are grouped into a family; and families which have certain 
fundamental points of similarity are associated to form still 
more inclusive divisions of the vegetable kingdom. Thus 
the oaks (Quercus), chestnuts (Castanea), beeches (Fagus), 
and other trees which agree in having their flowers in tassel- 
like clusters, and their nut-like fruits held in something corre- 
sponding to a beech-bur, make up the beech family or Fagacee. 
The poplars (Populus) and willows (Salix) which also have 
tassel-like flower-clusters but only small seeds bearing slender 
silky hairs, constitute the willow family or Salicacee. Lilies 
and similar plants compose the lily family Liliacee; palms, 
the palm family, Palmacee; pine-like plants, the pine family, 
Pinacee, and so on. Plants like cabbage and mustard with 
flowers of cross-like form belong to the mustard family Cru- 
cifere.? 
So closely similar to the Fagacee are the members of the 
birch family, Betulaceew, that botanists find it convenient 
11t will be noticed that the botanical name of the families is formed 
usually by adding the termination acee to the main part of the name of 
a typical genus of the family. This termination corresponds to the 
English suffix aceouws, meaning ‘‘having the qualities or characteristics 
of.” The name is thus of adjective form, the noun plante being under- 
stood. Hence the full name of the willow family would be Plante 
salicacee, meaning salicaceous (or willow-like) plants. In a few cases 
like Crucifere (from L. cruz, crucis, a cross; fero, 1 bear) the name ex- 
presses a peculiarity of the whole family. 
