42 IMPATIENS FULVA. SPOITED TOUCH-ME-NUT, OR SNAP-WEED. 



familiar from the 'noli-me-tangere' pictures in Roman Catholic 

 countries." The old European species is called Impatiens noli- 

 tangere, and the earlier botanists of our country supposed they 

 found the same species here, but it was finally discovered to be 

 distinct from the European one. The botanical name of the 

 o-enus, Impatiens, meaning impatient, is also derived from the 

 peculiar behavior of the seed vessel when touched. The name 

 Impatiens is credited in modern works to Linnaeus, who simply 

 adopted it, as he tells us in the "Genera Plantarum," from 

 Rivinus, a writer of about 1690; and we find the same name in 

 use by Doedens, a botanical author who flourished about the 

 same time. Plukenet, Ray, and others of that period not only 

 refer to Impatiens, but are believed to have had our kind in 

 view. The present species was included in the early collections 

 of Clayton in Virginia and of Colden from New York, as we 

 learn from the writings of Gronovius. It may appear singular 

 to some that so old and evidently well-known a plant should 

 bear so modern a name as one dating from only 1818, Nuttall 

 having then named it I.fulva. Of this Nuttall says: "This is 

 the /. biflora of Willdenow, and of Pursh in his ' Flora,' and also 

 the /. maculata of Muhlenberg's ' Catalogue.' As several species 

 are spotted I have not adopted the last name; and I have 

 changed the former because it was deceptive." It may be 

 observed about this that if names were to be changed in these 

 days for such reasons as these, our list of synonyms would be 

 hugely increased. Polygonatimi biflonim may have but one 

 flower from each axil, and again it is found with four; but no one 

 seeks to change the name "because it is deceptive." It is 

 remarkable, however, that Nuttall's name with no better reason 

 has displaced the prior names in all American botanical works 

 of the present time; even Mr. Sereno Watson, usually so scru- 

 pulously impartial in the application of the laws of priority, uses 

 Nuttall's name as the proper one in his recent " Bibliography." 

 Our work being to give a history of Botany as we find it, we, of 

 course, have had to use the name in our quotation from Profes- 

 sor Wood's Class-Rook. 



