PLANT NAMES 27 



tree in Latin is alta arbor, not alius nor altum. In 

 Esperanto he does not trouble his head with such 

 folly, and a tall man, a tall woman, or a tall chimney 

 is just alta. 



The Romans, then, as a rule regarded trees as 

 feminine, and in names derived from their language 

 we are obliged to do the same. Therefore we have 

 to make the specific adjectival name correspond. 

 The Copper Beech is Fagus purpurea, not purpureus. 

 But we speak of Rhododendron ponticum and 

 Philadelphus grandiflorus because the Greeks looked 

 on those shrubs as neuter and masculine respectively. 



For the sake of unlearned readers I may add the 

 rules by which to know the correct terminations of 

 specific adjectival names. There are four Latin 

 forms ending in -us, -is, -er, and -ens, as albus, 

 gracilis, niger, and splendens. The masculine, 

 feminine, and neuter of these are : -us, -a, -um ; -is, 

 -is, -e ; -er, -ra, -rum ; -ens, -ens, -ens. Generic 

 commemorative names are always feminine, and 

 usually end in a, as Buddleia, from Mr. Buddie. 

 Specific commemorative names end in -i or -ii, 

 which is the sign of the genitive of nouns ending in 

 -us or -ius. Thus, Buddleia Colvillii is the Buddleia 

 of Colvillius or Colvill. Or an adjective is coined 

 ending in -ius or -anus or -ianus; thus Gladiolus 

 Mortonius, Draccena Rohinsoniana, Dendrohium 

 Jamesianum. 



In the following pages an attempt is made to 

 classify generic names according to their origin and 

 meaning. 



