6 Frederic E. Clements 



shortened form of the nominative and the stem proper of the 

 oblique cases alternate in word-formation. The Greek lexicon 

 exhibits 1,782 neuters of this class, of which 231 appear in 969 

 derivatives as the first term. In the latter the proper stem ap- 

 pears in 781 words, while the shortened form appears in 188 

 words. The alternation of these stems in Greek has of neces- 

 sity given rise to corresponding alternatives in nomenclature. 

 Thus, there are found Grammonema Ag. 1832 and Grammato- 

 nema Kuetz. 1845, Lomaspora DC. 1821 and Lomatospora 

 Reichenb. 1828, Spermodermia Tode 1790 and Spermatodermia 

 Wallr. 1833, Stomotechium Lehm. 1818 and Stomatotechium 

 Spach 1843. Unfortunate and confusing as the variants of the 

 same generic name are, the case is very much worse when the 

 variations of one stem furnish two otherwise valid generic names, 

 as in the case of Dermatocarpus Eschw. 1823 and Dermocarpa 

 Crouan 1858, Grammocarpus Seringe 1825 and Grammatocarpus 

 Presl 1831, Haemospermum Reinw. 1825 and Haematospermum 

 (Wallich) Lindl. 1836. In the former, we are concerned merely 

 with uniformity, desirable as that may be, while in the latter 

 the validity of a generic name is destroyed because of its essen- 

 tial identity with an earlier name, an identity of which the later 

 author was probably unaware. Such fatal duplication of generic 

 names can only be avoided by stringent rules for securing uni- 

 formity in methods of derivation. Myosurus L. 1737 (Myo- 

 suros Dill. 1719) and Myurus Endl. 1837 are again alternative 

 forms of the same compound word, which have been applied to 

 different genera. The former illustrates the rare and archaic 

 type of syntactic composition, the latter follows the usual method 

 of composition by stems. In the case of Coleosanthus Cassini 

 April 1817 and Coleanthus Seidl July 1817, the latter, though 

 correctly formed, falls by the working of priority before the 

 former, which is a blander, equally indefensible from the stand- 

 point of syntactic or non-syntactic composition. Callitriche L. 

 1751 and Calothrix Ag. 1824 illustrate the confusion that arises 

 from using alternative Greek words (/caXAi-, icaXo?, beautiful) and 

 from the variation of the termination of the last member of the 

 compound. Either first term is correct, but their compounds are 



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