SECTION 18.] NOMENCLATURE. 179 



§ 2. NAMES, TERMS, AND CHARACTERS. 



535. The name of a plant is the name of its genus followed by that ot 

 the species. The name of the genus answers to the surname (or family 

 name) ; that of the species to the baptismal name of a person. Thus C^uer- 

 ctts is the name of the Oak genus; Quercus alba, that of the White Oak, 

 Q. rubra, that of Red Oak, Q. nigra, that of the Black-Jack, etc. Botani- 

 cal names being Latin or Latinized, the adjective name of the species 

 comes after that of the genus. 



536. Names of Genera are of one word, a substantive. The older 

 ones are mostly classical Latin, or Greek adopted into Latin ; such as 

 Quercus for the Oak genus, Fagus for the Beech, Corijlus, the Hazel, and 

 the like. But as more genera became known, botanists had new names to 

 make or borrow. Many are named from some appearance or property of 

 the flowers, leaves, or other parts of the plant. To take a few examples 

 from the early pages of the " Manual of the Botany of the Northern United 

 States," — the genus Hcpatlca comes from the shape of the leaf, resembling 

 that of tlie liver. Mj/osunis means mouse-tail. Delphinium is from dol- 

 phin, a dolphin, and alludes to the shape of the flower, which was thought 

 to resemble the classical figures of the dolphin. Xanthorrhiza is from two 

 Greek words meaning yellow-root, the common name of the plant. Cimi- 

 cifuga is formed of two Latin words meaning to drive away bugs, i. e. 

 Bugbane, the Siberian species being used to keep away such vermin. 

 Sanguinaria, the Bloodroot, is named from the blood-like color of its juice. 

 Other genera are dedicated to distinguished botanists or promoters of 

 science, and bear their names : such are Magnolia, which commemorates 

 the early French botanist, Maguol ; and Jeffersonia, named after President 

 Jefferson, who sent the first exploring expedition over the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Others bear the name of the discoverer of the plant ; as, Sarra- 

 cenia, dedicated to Dr. Sarrazin, of Quebec, who was one of the first to 

 send the common Pitciier-plant to the botanists of Europe ; and Clai/tonia, 

 first made known by the early Virginian botanist Clayton. 



537. Names of Species. The name of a species is also a single word, 

 appended to that of the genus. It is commonly an adjective, and therefore 

 agrees with the generic name in case, gender, etc. Sometimes it relates to 

 the country the species inhabits ; as, Claytonia Virginica, first made known 

 from Virginia; Sanguinaria Canadensis, from Canada, etc. More com- 

 monly it denotes some obvious or characteristic trait of the species ; as, 

 for example, in Sarraceuia, our northern species is named -purpurea, from 

 the purple blossoms, while a more southern one is named flaxa, because 

 its petals are yellow ; the species of Jeffersonia is called diphylla, meaning 

 two-leaved, because its leaf is divided into two leaflets. Some species are 

 named after the discoverer, or in compliment to a botanist wlio has made 

 them known ; as, Magnolia Fraaeri, named after the botanist Fraser, one 



