ADVERTISEMENT 



TO THE FIFTH EDITION 



The fifth edition has been carefully examined and revised through- 

 out; besides which, nearly 30 pages of matter have been added, con- 

 skting of " THE LANGUAGE OF PLANTS," an illustration of the 

 classes and orders, by rxamples of American plants, and an index of 

 scientific and common names to the genera. 



j. L. (;. 



Hartford, Conn., March, 1837. 



RULES FOR PRONOUNCING BOTANICAL NAMES. 



In classical words, there are as many syllables as there are vowels, ex 

 cept when u, with any other vowel follows g, q, or s, and when two vowels 

 unite to form a dipthong. 



Every accented penultimate vowel is pronounced long, when followed 

 by a vowel or a single consonant, as Achille'a tomento'sa ; but it is 

 shortened when followed by two consonants, or a double one, as Sorbus, 

 Taxus, except when the first consonant is a mute, and the second a liquid, 

 as A'brus. 



A, when unaccented, and ending a word, is pronounced like the interjec- 

 tion ah, as Dirca, Septaria. 



E, final, with or without a preceding consonant, always forms a distinct 

 syllable, as Chelo'ne, Sile'ne, A'loe ; also, when the vowel is followed 

 by a final consonant, as Tri-cho-ma-nes, not Tricho-manes, Vas-cu-la-res, 

 not Vascu-lares, Cel-lu-la-res, not Cel-lu-lares. 



I, when ending a syllable, not final, has the sound of e, as Mespilus, 

 (Mcs-pc-lus,) Artimi'sia, (Ar-ti-me-staJ Epilo'bium, (Epilo-be-um.) In 

 words ending in ii the same rule is observed, as Smithii. (Srnithe-cye.) 



The dipthongs a and a conform to the rules for e, as Spirae, (Spi-re-a,) 

 Dioecia, (Di-e-cia.) 



CONSONANTS. 



The consonants c andg are hard before a, o, and u, as Coptis, (Koptis,) 

 but they are soft before e and i, as Geum, (Jeum,) Gillenia. 



Ch before a vowel sounds like k, Chelidonium, (Kdidoneum,) Chelo^e, 

 (Kclone.) 



Cm, en, ct, gm, gn, mu, tm, ps, pt, when they begin a word, are pro- 

 nounced with the first letter mute, as Pferis, (Tern), Cnicus, (Nikus,) 

 Gmelina, (Mdina,) Gnidea, (Nidea,) &c. 



Sch sounds like sk, as Schoenus, (Skenus,) Schubertia, (Skube>'iz.) 



X at the beginning of a word is pronounced like z, as Xanthmm, ( Zan 

 thium,) Xyris, (Zyns.^ 



