180 NOMENCLATURE [SECTION 18. 



of the first lo find this species ; and Sarraceiiia Brummondii, for a Pitchei- 

 plaiit found by Mr. Druiiimoud in Florida. Such personal specific names 

 are of course written with a capital initial letter. Occasionally some old 

 substantive name is used for the species ; as Magnolia Umbrella, the Um- 

 brella tree, and Ranunculus Flammula. These are also written with a 

 capital initial, and need not accord with the genei-ic name in gender. Geo- 

 graphical specific names, such as Canadensis, Caroliniana, Americana, in 

 the later usage are by some written without a capital initial, but the older 

 usage is better, or at least more accordant with English orthography. 



538. Varietal Names, when any are required, are made on the plan of 

 specific names, and follow these, with the prefix var. Ranunculus Flam- 

 mula, var. reptans, the creeping variety: 11. abortivus, var. micranthus, 

 the small-flowered variety of tiie species. 



539. In recording the name of a plant it is usual to append the name, 

 or an abbreviation of the name, of the botanist who first pubUshed it; and 

 in a flora or other systematic work, this reference to the source of the 

 name is completed by a further citation of the name of the book, the 

 volume and page where it was first published. So " Ranunculus acris, 

 L.," means that this Buttercup was first so named and described by Lin- 

 naeus ; '" R. multijidas, Pursh," ihat this species was so named and pub- 

 lished by Pursh. The siillix is no part of the name, but is an abbreviated 

 reference, to be added or omitted as convenience or definiteness may re- 

 quire. The authority for a generic name is similarly recorded. Tlius, 

 "■Ranunculus, L.," moans that the genus was so named by Linnseus; 

 "■ Myosurus, Dill.," that (he Mouse-tail was established as a genus under 

 this name by DiUenius; CaulophyUum, Miehx., that the Blue Cohosh was 

 published under this name by Michaux. The full reference in the last- 

 named instance would be, "in Flora Boreali-Americaua, first volume, 205th 

 page," — in tlio customary abbreviation, '* Michx. Fl. i. 205." 



510. Names of Orders are given in the plural number, and are com- 

 monly formed l)y prolonging the name of a genus of the group taken as a 

 representative of it. For example, the order of which the Buttercup or 

 Crowfoot genus, Ranunculus, is the representative, takes from it the name 

 of Ranunculacefi' ; meaning Flantfe RamiHCuluceee when written out in 

 full, that is, Kanunculaceous Plants. Some old descriptive names of 

 orders are kept up, sueli as Cruciferre for the order to which Cress and 

 Mustard belong, from the cruciform appearance of their expanded corolla, 

 and Umhelllfcra', from the flowers being in umbels. 



541. Names of Tribes, also of suborders, subtribes, and the like, are 

 plurals of the name of the typical genus, less prolonged, usually in ea, 

 ,iicrp, idc(P, etc. Thus the proper Buttercup tribe is Ranunculcee., of the 

 Clematis tribe. ClematidfO'. While the Rose family is Rosacea, the special 

 Rose tribe is Roserp. 



542. Names of Classes, etc. For these see the following synopsis of 

 the actual classification adopted, p. 183. 



