FINDING-LIST OF BINOMIALS 



3577 



it descriptive, euphonious, and short, in distinct contrast 

 to many Latin names. Common names are usually easier 

 to remember by those who are not botanists, and they 

 serve a most useful purpose in linking up the plant with 

 its correct or accepted scientific name. The Joint Com- 

 mittee expects in the near future to publish in connection 

 with the scientific names, a list of common names, with 

 recommendations for horticultural use, believing that such 

 a list will serve purposes of plant knowledge and identi- 

 fication even more effectively than the present starred list 

 of botanical names. 



Identification. 



As has been stated, a leading cause of plant-name con- 

 fusion lies in the careless dissemination of plants under a 

 wrong name. In doubtful cases when means are not at 

 hand for positively identifying plants and labeling them 

 properly, it is earnestly urged that adequate specimens 

 (including flowers, fruit, leaves, and roots, where possi- 

 ble) be sent to a competent authority for correct identifi- 

 cation and naming, such as Dr. L. H. Bailey, Ithaca, New 

 York; the United States Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington; any well-equipped botanical garden; or the Arnold 

 Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Specimens 

 should be pressed and dried smooth, and sent flat between 

 cardboards. 



Acknowledgment. 



The Joint Committee wishes to acknowledge its grati- 

 tude to Dr. Bailey for the opportunity afforded of pre- 

 senting to the American horticultural public its first 

 efforts toward standardizing plant names through the 

 medium of the "Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture." 

 Moreover, the Committee has enjoyed the earnest coopera- 

 tion and advice of Dr. Bailey, and thus the work has been 

 made far more complete and helpful than it could possibly 

 have been otherwise. 



Recommendations of the Joint Committee on the use of the 

 Finding-List. 



1. The stars (*) denote the names recommended for 

 uniform use by the American horticultural trade, for such 

 period of time as shall elapse until a new list is agreed 

 upon. 



2 In cases in which the starred name differs from the 

 Standard Cyclopedia name and the cataloguer or writer 

 for any reason does not wish to use it, the Joint Com- 

 mittee urges the use of the Cyclopedia name rather than 

 the use of a third alternative. 



3. When no star appears in the list, as in the case of 

 nearly all the herbaceous plants, the Joint Committee has 

 not yet specifically passed on the names. 



4. In cataloguing, the Finding-List will enable one to 

 place other names in parentheses with the name recom- 

 mended by the Joint Committe, and to use them also as 

 cross-references. Customers seeking a plant will thus be 

 enabled to locate it readily under any of its well-known 

 names if cross-reference is freely used. The Joint Com- 

 mittee believes that there is no better method known of 

 educating the tradesman and public alike to a correct 

 knowledge of plant names and to the consequent adoption 

 of the recommended or standardized name. 



Examples: If he were cataloguing certain plants formerly 

 known to systematists as Andromeda, a good treatment 

 would be as follows: 



Andromeda floribunda. See PIERIS. 

 And under Pieris the entry would be: 



PIERIS (Andromeda) FLORIBUNDA. 



(NOTE: The genus Andromeda is not entirely obsolete, 

 but now includes in America only two species, A. polifolia 

 and A. glaucophytta.) 



In some cases, it is only the species that is involved, the 

 genus remaining the same. Thus, the name Magnolia stel- 

 lata is now used in place of M . Ha.llia.na. Perhaps the 

 best entry would be: 



Magnolia Hattiana. See M. STELLATA. 



And again in its proper place carrying description, 

 sizes, and prices 



MAGNOLIA STELLATA (M. Halliana). 

 Other examples are 



AZALEA NUDIFLORA (Rhododendron nudi- 

 florum). 



FRAXINUS NIGRA (F. sambucifolia). 

 HALESIA TETRAPTERA (H. Carolina, Moh- 



rodendron carolinum). 

 CORNUS STOLONIFERA var. FLAVIRAMEA 



(var. aurea). 

 ACER PALMATUM (A. polymorphum) var. 



ATROPURPUREUM. 



These examples will suggest how to make up proper 

 entries. It is further recommended that synonyms intro- 

 duced in cross-reference or in parentheses always be printed 

 in italics or in smaller type than the accepted standardized 

 name. 



5. In cataloguing, labeling, etc., the abbreviation 

 "var." (variety) following a species name may be omitted 

 for the sake of brevity. 



The name of a variety or horticultural form is often 

 further abbreviated by omitting the species-name (for 

 example: Acer purpurascens for A. pseudoplatanus var. 

 purpurascens) ; but this practice is liable to cause confu- 

 sion, as when specific and varietal names in a given genus 

 are similar or alike, and therefore when a varietal name 

 is so contracted the abbreviation "v." or "var." should 

 be retained (for example: Acer var. purpurascens for Acer 

 pseudoplatanus var. purpurascens). 



6. It is suggested that all tradesmen publishing cata- 

 logues or lists print in a conspicuous place a notice similar 

 to the following: "The names of trees and shrubs in this 

 catalogue are based on the recommendations of the 

 American Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomencla- 

 ture as they appear in Bailey's Standard Cyclopedia of 

 Horticulture, pages 3575 to 3591." 



The Joint Committee takes this opportunity to urge all 

 members of the organizations represented in it and. all 

 others interested in standardizing plant names to offer crit- 

 icisms and suggestions for the help and instruction of the 

 Committee in its future work. It is only by persistent effort 

 and cooperation that we may hope to bring reasonable 

 order and understanding out of the existing chaos in 

 plant nomenclature. 



AMERICAN JOINT COMMITTEE ON 

 HORTICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE 



HARLAN P. KELSET, Secretary, 

 Salem, Massachusetts. 



