Queries and Answers to Queries. 233 



give any directions regarding them : but, in addition to this primary accent, 

 every word of more than three syllables contains a secondary accent, which is 

 regulated by the same rules ; and with reference to it, and also to prevent 

 our readers being misled by casual typographical errors, we shall notice 

 those vowels in which mistakes might occur. The secondary accent must 

 always be at least two syllables before the primary accent, as in Ch^iido- 

 nium ; for its place the ear is a sufficient guide, and even were it entirely 

 omitted, still, however inharmonious, it would not be incorrect. 



Every accented penultimate vowel is pronounced long, when followed by 

 a vowel or a single consonant, as Jchille« tomentosa; but it is shortened 

 when followed by two consonants or a double one, as 5'6rbus, Taxus ; 

 except when the first consonant is a mute and the second a liquid, as 

 A'brus. 



Every accented antepenultimate vowel, except u, is pronounced short, as 

 i/elleborus, iiZ"umulus : but when succeeded by a single consonant, followed 

 by e or i and another vowel, they are lengthened, as Stellaria; except i, 

 which is short, as niia. 



A unaccented, ending a word, is pronounced like the interjection ah, as 

 Sticta (ah). 



\ E final, with or without a consonant preceding, always forms a distinct 

 syllable, as Silene, ^'loe ; also when the vowel is followed by a final con* 

 sonant as Tri-cho-ma-nes, not Tri-cho-manes. 



/ unaccented, if final, sounds as if written eye, as Spica v6.n\\ {eye); but 

 when it ends a syllable, not final, it has the sound of e, as il/espilus {Ales- 

 pelus), SmithzV {Smith'e-eye). 



Y is subject to the same rules as i. 



The diphthongs cb and ce conform to the rules for e ; ei is generally pro- 

 nounced like eye; the other diphthongs have the common English 

 sounds. 



The following directions regarding consonants and their combinations, * 

 though unnecessary to those skilled in our own tongue, may not be with- 

 out their use to some of our readers : — 



C and g are hard before a, a, u, as Cornus, Galium ; short before e, i, 

 and y, as Cetraria, Citrus. 



T, s, and c, before ia, ie,ii, io, in, and eu, preceded by the accent, change 

 their sounds, t and c, into sh, as Bletia, Ficia ; and s into zh, as Blasia : but, 

 when the accent is on the first diphthongal vowel, the preceding consonant 

 preserves its sound, as aurantiacum. 



Ch, before a vowel, are pronounced like k, as Chelid6nium(^e/), Colchicum. 

 {kolkekum) ; but, in commemorative names, they follow their primitives, as 

 Richardsonifl, in which the ch is soft. 



Cm, en, ct, gn, mn, tm, ps, pt, and other uncombinable consonants, are 

 pronounced with the first syllable mute, as Pteris (teris), C'nicus {nikus), 

 Gmelina ivielina), Gnidia {nidia), &c. 



Ph, followed by a mute, are not sounded ; but, followed by a vowel or 

 a liquid, sound like/, as Phleum {Jleuvi). 



Sch sounds like sk, as ^choe^nus {skenus) ; in tm and zm both letters are 

 heard. 



S, at the end of a word, has its pure hissing sound, as ZJictylis ; except 

 when preceded by e, r, or n, when it sounds like z, as Ribes {ez). 



X, at the beginning of a word, sounds like z, as Xanthium ; in any 

 other situation it retains its own sound, as Tkxas, Tamarix. 



We have now given sufficient directions to enable any intelligent gar- 

 dener to pronounce systematic names with correctness. To know where 

 to place the accent would require a knowledge of Greek and Latin pro- 

 sody, which we cannot expect every man to attain; this, however, we 

 shall continue to indicate by the use of accents. But while we do this for 

 the advantage of the unlearned, we hope no gardener, who values his 



