NOMENCLATURE 



Brown. Now with the Phlox, decussata and likewise 

 Drummondii are the species names, corresponding to 

 the baptismal or Christian name of a person. However, 

 the identity is not yet sufficiently clear, as there may be 

 several John Browns; which one are we talking about? 

 John Brown the lawyer, perhaps, or maybe John 

 Brown the doctor, and that is the same as phlox 

 decussata, independence, or, again, phlox Drummondii, 

 stellata, these third names indicating the variety 

 and thus establishing beyond a doubt the particular 

 Phlox we have in mind, just as John Brown the lawyer 

 establishes the identity of the particular Brown we 

 have in mind. 



You will find family, species and variety all spelled 

 with both capital and small initial letters. This is 

 perfectly right though it may look queer. The rule 

 is that capitals are only used when a proper name 

 furnished the foundation for the plant name phlox 

 Drummondii for instance is a Phlox originated by a 

 man named Drummond while small letters are used 

 at all other times. Unfortunately many are not as 

 careful in this respect as they ought to be and mis- 

 takes are rather common. 



There are, of course, many more divisions of plants 

 than the three here given, but the others are of interest 

 and importance to the botanist only. The practical 

 gardener is not keen about marshalling great families 

 into still greater classes, or clans and cohorts, and these 

 again into some still larger group, with a more compre- 

 hensive title and all things considered, it is probably 



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