1859.] ON SPECIFIC NAMES OF PLANTS. 141 



1. Mr. Babington^ in his 'Manual of British Botany/ second 

 edition^ employs the following names : — Erodium pimpmell<s.fo- 

 lium, Crepis succistsfolius, Potamogeton zostercsfolius. In the 

 same work is also to be found Hypericum linariifolium, also Ery- 

 thraa linarifolia. Hence it appears that this great authority did 

 not follow Smith's rule. Did he observe any rule ? Linariifo- 

 lium and linarifolia are both from the same original, linaria and 

 folium. 



2. The London Catalogue, which usually follows Mr. Babing- 

 ton in nomenclature, as in other matters, has, in addition to the 

 above. Cyclamen hedercBfolium (it is hederifolium in the ' Manual '), 

 also Senecio eructefolius, 



3. Smith, in his 'English Flora,' does not appear to have very 

 rigidly adhered to his own rule, for Erodium pimpinellcefolium oc- 

 curs in vol. iii. p. 280. Crepis succiscefolia was not known then 

 as a Crepis, but Hieracium succiscefolium, which is the same 

 thing, appears in Smith. Potamogeton zosterafolius was undis- 

 covered when this great botanist ruled the botanical destinies of 

 England, and laid dpwn laws for the guidance of her scientific 

 children. This eminent authority does use the other form, as 

 e.g. Cyclamen hederifolium, but he does not uniformly follow his 

 own rule. 



4. Hooker, in his ' British Flora,' appears to be neutral ; he 

 employs both forms indifferently, thus : — Potamogeton zoster<2- 

 folius, Veronica hederifolia, Cyclamen hedercsfolium, etc. There 

 is no evidence in the third edition of his ' Flora ' that he recog- 

 nized the binding authority of the alleged law. 



5. Withering has Veronica hedera&folia, and this form has been 

 adopted by a greater authority (in philology), viz. Dr. Sibthorp 

 (Fl. Oxon,), also by Dr. Abbot (Fl. Bedford.), two learned cler- 

 gymen, non inscii sermonis Latini, appear to have been ignorant 

 of this assumed analogical rule propounded by Smith and circu- 

 lated in the ' Phytologist.' 



6. The late Dr. Bromfield, who is celebrated for learned accu- 

 racy, as well as for strict veracity, has, in ' Flora Vectensis,' the 

 same form, V. hederafolia. It is impossible, from the above- 

 named work, to say how he would have dealt with the examples 

 above quoted, for they did not fall within his province. They are 

 not in the district to which his ' Flora ' is restricted. 



7. The foreign botanists appear to follow another principle. 



