NOMENCLATURE 261 



cies, have definite and universally recognized common 

 names in a country. The common names, wheat, oats, 

 rye and barley are definite in their application. Millet 

 is not a definite name as it may mean foxtail millet, proso 

 millet, sorghum, or even pearl millet. Timothy is in some 

 localities called herd's-grass, a name which is often applied 

 to redtop. Kentucky blue-grass is also called June-grass, 

 and Bermuda-grass is called wire-grass. Such terms as 

 bunch-grass, wild oats, barley-grass and many others, are 

 so indefinite in their application that they are of little 

 value as names. 



Because of this lack of precision in applying common 

 names it has been found necessary to introduce the use of 

 the botanical or Latin names of the species. Furthermore 

 the Latin name is applicable in all countries regardless of 

 the native language. Well-known common names such as 

 timothy and Johnson-grass may be sufficiently definite. 

 Where common names are applied to different species in 

 different parts of a country it is necessary to supplement 

 the common name with the Latin name, for example, 

 bluejoint (Andropogon furcatus, Calamagrostis canadensis, 

 or Agropyron Smithii), foxtail (Chcetochloa viridis, C. 

 lutescens, Hordeum juhatum, H. murinum, and other 

 species), wire-grass (Capriola Dadylon, Poa compressa, 

 Juncus halticus) and many others. Furthermore, a large 

 number of grasses have never received common names 

 or only such indefinite local names as bunch-grass and 

 wild oats. For such grasses it is necessary to use the Latin 

 names. That the technical Latin name of a grass is readily 

 accepted by the public is shown by the wide use of Bromus 

 inermis. Some botanical works have attempted, with 

 doubtful success, to introduce as common names the 

 translations of the Latin names. Such names may be 



