The Names of Trees 



Our cork elm was until recently called " Ulmus racemosa, 

 Thomas." The discovery that the name racemosa was given 

 long ago to the cork elm of Europe discredited it for the Ameri- 

 can tree. Mr. Sargent substituted the name of the author, and 

 it now stands "Ulmus Thomasi, Sarg." Occasionally a generic 

 name is changed. The old generic name becomes the specific 

 name. Box elder was formerly known as '' Negundo aceroides, 

 Moench." It is changed back to ''Acer Negiindo, Linn." On the 

 other hand, the tan-bark oak, which is intermediate in character 

 between oaks and chestnuts, has been taken by Professor Sargent 

 in his Manual, 1905, out of the genus Quercus and set in a genus 

 by itself. From ''Quercus denstflora, Hook, and Arn.," it is called 

 "Pasania densiflora, Sarg.," the specific name being carried over 

 to the new genus. 



About one hundred thousand species of plants have been 

 named by botanists. They believe that one-half of the world's 

 flora is covered. Trees are better known than less conspicuous 

 plants. Fungi and bacteria are just coming into notice. Yet 

 even among trees new species are constantly being described. 

 Professor Sargent described 367 native species in his "Silva of 

 North America," published 1892-1900. His Manual, 1905, con- 

 tains 630. Both books exclude Mexico. The silva of the tropics 

 contains many unknown trees, for there are still impenetrable 

 tracts of forest. 



The origin of local names of trees is interesting. History 

 and romance, music and hard common sense are in these names 

 — likewise much pure foolishness. The nearness to Mexico 

 brought in the musical pinon and madrona in the Southwest. 

 Pecanier and bois dare came with many other French names 

 with the Acadians to Louisiana. The Indians had many trees 

 named, and we wisely kept hickory, waahoo, catalpa, persimmon 

 and a few others of them. 



Woodsmen have generally chosen descriptive names which 

 are based on fact and are helpful to learners. Botanists have 

 done this, too. Bark gives the names to shagbark hickory, 

 striped maple and naked wood. The colour names white birch, 

 black locust, blue beech. Wood names red oak, yellow-wood 

 and white-heart hickory. The texture names rock elm, punk oak, 

 and soft pine. The uses name post oak, canoe birch and lodge- 

 pole pine. 



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