FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 5 



Thus, Eriodictyon (from Gr. epiov, wool + 5iKTuo*>, net) alludes to 

 its wooly, netted veined leaves; Melaleuca (from Gr. /zeXas, black, 

 -J-XevKos, white) alludes to the black bark of the trunk and white 

 bark of the branches; Marrubium (from Hebrew marrob, bitter) 

 refers to its bitter sap; Barosma (from Gr. fiapvs, heavy + 007*17, 

 odor) in allusion to its strong smell; Epiphegus (from Gr. era, upon, 

 + #7776$, the beech) alludes to its growth on the roots of that tree; 

 Impatiens (from Lat. in, not and patiens, enduring) refers to the 

 sudden bursting of the capsules of this genus when touched; Ly co- 

 podium (from Gr. XVKOS, a wolf, + Trot's, a foot) pertains to the 

 appearance of the shoots of this genus. Many have been named in 

 honor of eminent naturalists or friends of these, or other noted 

 persons. For example, Collins onia was named in honor of Peter 

 Collinson, an English botanist of the i8th century; Dioscorea in honor 

 of Dioscorides, the Greek naturalist \Paullinia after Paullini, a German 

 botanist of the i7th century; Cinchona in honor of the countess of 

 Chinchon, who brought the bark to Europe in 1640 and Jeffersonia, 

 in honor of Thomas Jefferson. 



The specific names are for the most part adjectives which agree with 

 the names of genera to which they belong in case, gender, etc. They 

 may, however, be nouns and in a few instances consist of two nouns 

 or a noun and an adjective. If an adjective it should begin with a 

 small letter, as in Rhus glabra and Euonymus atropurpureus. When 

 the specific name is a noun, it may either be a proper noun in the 

 genitive case when it should begin with a capital, as Garcinia Han- 

 buryi] or it may be a common noun in the genitive, when it should 

 begin with a small letter, as Grindelia camporum; or the noun may 

 be in apposition to the generic name and so in the same case, as 

 Cytisus scoparius. Names that had formerly been used for genera 

 but since reduced to species are always capitalized, whether origi- 

 nally proper nouns or not, as Aristolochia Serpentaria and Anacyclus 

 Pyrethrum. In cases where two nouns make up the specific name, 

 the first of these is in the nominative case, the second in the genetive, 

 the two names being connected by a hyphen, as Capsella bursa-pastoris. 

 The botanical name of the species yielding the drug, Aspidosperma, 

 (Aspidosperma Quebracho-bianco} will serve as an example of the 

 specific portion of the names being composed of a noun and an ad- 



