350 PHYTOGKAPHY. 



710. The etymology of a new genus should always be given. 

 Of the Linnsean restrictions, one holds, viz. that the names of 

 genera are not to end in -oid>s, as man}* of the older names did. 



71 1 . Names of Species are commonly and by preference adjec- 

 tives, agreeing with the name of the genus, and expressive of 

 some character, habit, mode or place of growth, time of flower- 

 ing, or commemorating the discoverer, first describer, or some 

 one otherwise connected with its history. Thus, in the genus 

 Ranunculus, R. bulbosus is named from the bulb-like crown or base 

 of the stem ; R. acris, from the acridity of the juice ; R. scele- 

 ratus (the accursed), in reference to the same property ; R. repens, 

 from the creeping habit of the stems ; R. pusillus, from general 

 insignificance ; R. aquatilis, from its growing in water ; R. ni- 

 vt^is, from living near eternal snow ; R. Pennsylvanicus, from 

 county or State whence it was first made known to botanists ; 

 R. Bonplandianus, in honor of Bonpland, one of the discoverers ; 

 and so on. More commonly, when a discoverer or investigator 

 of a species is commemorated in the name, this is a substantive, 

 in the genitive, as Ranunculus Nuttallu, i. e. the Ranunculus of 

 Nuttall, instead of R. Nuttallianns, the Nuttallian Ranunculus. 

 Yet the latter form is preferred when the species is named in 

 honor of some one who did not discover nor treat of it (which 

 should seldom be) ; but this distinction is a custom rather than 

 a rule, and the form of the commemorative name ma\ T be settled 

 by euphon}' or convenience. In any case, the personal name 

 should have a capital initial. 



712. Many specific names are substantives, occasionally a 

 common substantive, as Stellnria nemorum (of the groves), Con- 

 volvulus sepium (of the hedges), Cassia pumilio (the dwarf) ; 

 more commonly it is a substantive proper name, and this usu- 

 ally an old generic name reduced to that of a species. Ex. 

 Ranunculus Flamm.ula, R. Thora, and R. Cymbalaria ; also //mo- 



stood by the author, and justly deserving to be criticised." But this is 

 somewhat too absolute, since it is allowed that obvious errors in the con- 

 struction of names of Latin or Greek derivation may be corrected, provided 

 the change does not affect the initial letter or syllable, and that no ancient 

 names are to be disturbed. 



The clause that forbids changes in the orthography of ancient names, 

 even to make them classical, is a very proper one. The botanical Latin 

 of Tournefort, Linnasus, Jussieu, arid their contemporaries, has by pre- 

 scription rights which botanists are bound to 'respect. Wherefore Pyrus 

 is the botanical name of the pear-tree, notwithstanding the classical Pirns. 

 So fan's, as a specific name for a smooth plant (and as distinguished from 

 lew's, a light or slight one), is fixed by long botanical use, although only 

 let-is is classical ; and it is unnecessary to change Ranunculus acris to R. acer. 



