42 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



1751, had used the name Aitgiopteris for one of our American 

 ferns, but Linnaeus arbitrarily substituted one of his own (Ono- 

 clea) in its place. 



1 O9. The Linnaean system involved two names for every 

 organism, a generic or group name and a specific or individual 

 name. Generic names are often from the Greek, derived from 

 some characteristic of growth or structure (Cryptogramma, 

 Cheilanthes), or are Latinized in honor of some botanist or 

 patron of botany ( Woodsia), or occasionally from some symbol- 

 ical character (Osmunda). 



\ 1 O. Specific names are usually Latin or Latinized, and 

 must agree in gender with the generic name, according to the 

 rules of Latin syntax. Specific names frequently indicate some- 

 thing regarding habit or mode of growth (bulbifera, tomentosa, 

 atropurpurea), or may indicate the locality in which the organism 

 was first discovered (Californica, Ilvensis). A few take their 

 name from their discoverer, in which case the name is Latinized 

 and takes a genitive ending (Boottii, Cooperee), or else an ad- 

 jective form (Goldieana, Wrightiana). 



111. The advantage of this binary nomenclature is at once 

 evident when we consider the immense number of ferns 

 alone, to say nothing of the remainder of the vegetable world 

 and the hosts of the animal creation. By this means organisms 

 of complex structure can be definitely characterized with com- 

 paratively few words, and the scientific name once established, 

 is recognized among scientists of all nations and languages. 



112. Among some there is a tendency to regard scientific 

 names with disfavor, on the ground that they are long and dif- 

 ficult. But what shall we say of Geranium, or Gladiolus, or 

 Fuchsia, or Phlox Drummondii, or a hundred others familiar to 

 every lover of flowers ? Are these less difficult than Adianlum, 

 NothoJana, Woodsia, or Pell&a Brewen"? A little reflection will 

 convince a person of sense that such a criticism is unjust. 



1 1 3. A worse tendency is perhaps that which prompts the 

 introduction of " popular names" for ferns : occasionally a name 

 of this kind is highly appropriate, and deserves wide-spread 

 adoption, as in the case of " Christmas-fern " for Polystichum 

 acrostichoides, suggested by Mr. Robinson; the greater part, 

 however, have no merit, and when such monstrosities appear 



