BULES IN NOMENCLATURE. 163 



CHAPTER IV. 



BULKS IN NOMENCLATURE. 



633. The Names of the Orders are Latin adjectives, 

 feminine, plural (to agree with plantce, plants, understood), usu- 

 ally derived from the name of the most prominent, or leading 

 genus, by changing or prolonging the termination into acece^ as 

 Rosacece, the Rose tiibe, Papaveracece, the Poppy tribe, from 

 Rosa and Papaver. Earlier names, however, derived from some 

 leading character in the Order, and with various terminations, 

 are still retained. Thus, Compositce, with compound flowers ; 

 Labiatce, with labiate flowers. 



534. Generic Names are Latin substantives, arbitrarily 

 formed, often from some medicinal virtue, either supposed or 

 real, or from some obvious character of the genus ; sometimes 

 from the native country of the plants, or from the name of 

 some distinguished botanist, or patron of botany, to whom the 

 genus is thus said to be dedicated. Also the ancient classic 

 names, either Latin or Greek, are often retained. Examples of 

 all these modes of construction will be hereafter seen. 



535. Specific Names are usually Latin adjectives, singu- 

 lar, and agreeing in gender with the name of the genus to which 

 they belong. They are mostly founded upon some distinctive 

 character of the species ; as, Viola blanda, Sweet-scented Vio- 

 let ; V. cucullata, Hood-leaved Violet. Frequently the species 

 is named after some other genus, which, in some respect, it re- 

 sembles ; as Viola delphinifolia, Larkspur Violet. 



536. Commemorative Specific Names. SPECIES, like 

 genera, are also sometimes named in commemoration of distin- 

 guished persons. The rules given by Lindley, for the construc- 

 tion of such names, are : 1st. If the person is the discoverer, the 

 specific name is a substantive in the genitive case, singular num- 

 ber ; as, Viola Selkirkii, Selkirk's Violet ; Lobelia Kalmii, 

 Kalm's Lobelia. 2d. If the name is merely conferred in honor 

 of the person to whom it is dedicated, it is an adjective ending 

 in nus, na, or num (according to the gender of the generic 



