GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR PRONOUNCING THE NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Botanical names of plants are formed according to the analogies of the ancient 

 languages, chiefly the Latin. Some of the mo5t common terminations of names 

 of Genera and Species, are in a, wm, us, and is ; for example, the generig namea 

 Gerardia, Trifolium, Prunus, and Iris; and the specific names, virginicum, 

 candidum, blandiis, and officinalis. A great proportion of botanical names ter- 

 minate in a, in which case the word has the sound of a in father, as Rosa, 

 Viola, &c. 



The letter e at the end of a word is always sounded ; for example, Anemone, 

 pronounced anein"o-nc. 



The e is long before 5, when it ends a word, as Bicof'nes, pronoimced Bicor- 

 nees. 



In words that end in ides, the i is long, as in Hespcr"ides. 



The vowels ae and oe, are often used as diphthongs, and then have the sound 

 of e, as Hcpaiiuc, pronounced Hejmt'lce, and Di-cccia, pronounced Dl-e-cia. 



C and g, as in English, are soft before e, i, and ?/, and hard before a, o, and u. 

 The soft sound of c is like 5, the hard sound like L The soft sound of ^, is like 

 9, the hard sound like g, in the word gave; thus Algcs is pronounced Al"je. 

 Musci is pronounced Mws"ci. 



The letters ch are hard like k, as in Orchis, pronounced Or'-kis. 



Accent and Qumifity. 



The marks over the Generic and Specific names, in the Description of Genera 

 and Species, have reference not only to the syllable which is to be accented, but to 

 the quantity of the voiocl in the accented syllable, as either long or short. 



Those syllables over which the single 7nark is placed, have the vowel pro- 

 nounced lojig, as in Fra-ga'-ria ; those over which the double mark is placed, 

 have the vowel short, as in Hc-jjafi-ca ; in the latter case, the stress of voice is 

 thrown upon the consonant ; the two marks may, therefore, be considered as in- 

 dicating that the consonant, as well as the vowel, is accented. 



Words of two syllables always have the accent on the first ; if the syllable end 

 with a vowel, it is long, as in Cro'-cus ; if it end with a consonant, it is short, as in 

 Cac"-tus. 



Figures, and other Characters. 



The figures at the right hand of the name of the Genus, in the Description of 

 Species, refer to the Class and Order of the Plant in the Artificial System; the 

 word following the figures, and included in a parenthesis, designates the natural 

 order of the plant. (For the characteristics of these orders, see Appendix, from 

 page 27 to 32.) 



The following characters denote the duration of the plant : — 



© Annual — J' Biennial — %. Perennial — T^ Woody. 



Colour of Corollas. 

 r. red, p. purple, g. green, b. blue, w. white, y. yellow. The union of any 

 two or more of these characters, denotes that the different colours are united. 

 Ex. stands for exotic. 

 S. stands for south, referring to a region south of the Middle States. 



Time of Flaiuering. 

 Mar. March, Ap. April, M. May, J. June, Ju. July, Au. August, S.Sep- 

 tember, Oc. October, Nov. November. 



Localities. 

 ■ Can. Canada, N. E. New England, Car. Carolina, Height, i. and in. incher, 

 f. and ft, feet. 



