INTRODUCTORY VIEW 5 



Wood's meadow-grass so closely resemble Kentucky 

 blue-grass as to establish with it a close relationship. 

 Species which are thus closely related are placed in a 

 group called a genus. A genus, therefore, is a group 

 _of closely related species. 



5. Naming of plants. For convenience in describing 

 and identifying the various species that comprise a genus, 

 and to distinguish the various genera, it has been necessary 

 to name plants in such a way as to indicate the species - 

 and genus to which they belong. The botanical or scien- 

 tific name of a plant is composed of two Latin words, 

 the first of which is the name of the genus and the sec 

 that of the species. Thus Kentucky blue-grass is known 

 as Poa pratensis, Canada blue-grass as Poa compressa, 

 Rough-stalked meadow-grass as Poa trivialis, and Wood's 

 meadow-grass as Poa nemoralis. Varieties of farm crops 

 are not given Latin names, but frequently are named for the 

 man who is responsible for their development, as Reid 

 Yellow Dent corn, or sometimes for the section of the 

 country in which they were developed, as Boone County 

 White, or by some other distinguishing name, such as Pride 

 of the North, Rust-proof, Medium Green, and the like. 



6. The family. On observing the pasture and meadow 

 grasses, one will almost immediately note their similarity 

 and general appearance, manner of growth, shape of leaves, 

 character of stems, and other characters. It may be seen, 

 however, that this resemblance is not close enough to group 

 them all in the same genus, but that the various genera are 

 similar and may be classed together in a larger group, 

 which is called the family. Thus the meadow and pasture 

 grasses together with other grasses may all be included 

 in a large group or family, called the Graminese or grass 

 family. The family group may include genera of con- 



