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3o6 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [october 



hours 



synonym 



only. If it is so important to give the authority for the original descrip- 

 tion of a plant, is it not just as important to give the name under which 

 it was described, and the name of the one who has placed it in' the 

 correct genus ? 



In 1753 Linnaeus established the binomial system of nomenclature and 

 this was followed until very recently. Now, however, a few of our botanists 

 have reverted to the use of the trinomial, and not only for their own new 

 names, but in citing authors of the past. Thus Dr. Torrey, Dr. Gray, and 

 many others who never used this form are credited with it. Recently one 



Sinl 



parvulay forma parviflora. Would 



parvifl\ 



to attach his name to a combination so pre-Linnaean ? One great objec- 

 tion to the trinomial is the indefiniteness of the third part ; some use it as 

 a subspecies, some as a variety, some as a form, some as a mutation, etc., 

 and the reader or student is often left without any clue to what category 

 it belongs. In a paper recently issued the preface states that the rank 

 next below the species is a subspecies, thus making the third name of the 

 trinomials used in this paper rank as subspecies. The author proceeds 

 to make the third name of all his new trinomials subspecies and then cites 

 all varietal names made by earlier writers as the third name of a trinomial. 

 Does he thereby transfer varieties to subspecies and make new combina- 

 tions which the student of the future and the indexer must consider? 

 Certainly the names were not used in this form originally. 



Just the opposite of the last point is the use of the binomial in the 

 index to a periodical when the name on the page to which it is referred 

 is not in accord: for example, Prunella vulgaris scaberrima occurring in 

 an article is cited in the index to the volume as Prunella scaberrima. Is 

 the latter, then, a new combination? If so, who is authority for it, for 

 the name of the one who indexed the volume is never given ? 



The errors and inaccuracies of the past must remain. But the present 

 and future systematic botanists can easily avoid them in their forthcoming 

 works by (i) indicating clearly each new species, combination, or name, 

 (2) not allowing a name to appear as new^ when it has been published 



■ 



previously; (3) always giving the correct authority, or, where the paren- 

 thesis is used, the correct double authority; (4) stating clearly the category 

 to which each name, below the specific, belongs; and (5) in no way distort- 

 ing or altering the rank of names attributed to other authors. — Mary A. 

 Day. Gray Herbarium, 



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