2 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 
this plant had been called by Fuchs‘ by the correct and generally 
admitted binary name Polygonatum latifolium. As early,as the 
fifteenth century and perhaps much earlier the plants were called 
Weiszwurz by the Germans, because of the characteristic white 
roots. All of the other contemporaneous European vernacular 
names were translations of the Latin Szgilium Salamonis -or 
Soloman’s Seal. Caspar Bauhin’ explains the name as well as 
the Dioscorean one: ‘‘quod radix crebro geniculata sit’’ because 
the root is much geniculate ‘ Vulgo Sigillum Salamonis haud dubie 
a vestigiis pluribus radici sigilli instar impressis,” ‘commonly 
Solomon’s Seal doubtless because of the many (stem) traces 
impressed upon the root like a seal.’’ Leonhard Fuchs® also had 
aptly accounted for the name nearly one hundred years before: 
“Polygonatum Latinis dicitur. Officinis, item herbariis and vulgo 
Sigillum Salamonis, Germanis Wetszwurz (Gallis, signet de Salamo) - 
hoc est radix alba nominatur. Polygonatum autem a radici geni- 
culorum frequentibus nodis ex intervallis tumente appellaverunt.” 
“(The plant) is called by the Latins Polygonatum; in the shops 
and by herbarians commonly Solomon’s seal; by the Germans, 
Weiszwurz, that is, white root. Polygonatum they called it from 
the roots swelling at frequent intervals with bends and nodes.”’ 
In our region the genus is represented by two species P. 
biflorum Walt. Ell. and P. commutatum R. and S. The latter is 
the subject of this article. P. commutatum was first differentiated 
as a species from both European and other American members 
_ of the genus by Schulte under the name Convallaria commutata. 
Unaware of this publication Dietrich* had published this plant 
as new under the name P. giganteum by which it was known 
until recently in some of our common American manuals. Later 
he admitted the priority of P. commutatum as a specific name.? 
The following is a resumé of the synomymy of the generic 
and specific names. | 
POLYGONATUM. Dioscorides, Mat. Med. 4:5. 
Also Polygonatum, Matthioli, Lacuna, Castor Durante, 
4Fuchs, L., Primi de Stirpium Historia, p. 336 (1549). 
5Bauhin, C., Pinax, p. 303 (1623). 
6Fuchs, L. de Historia Stirpium, p. 199 b (1546). 
™R. and S. Sept. 7., p. 1671 (1830). 
8Otto and Dietr. Gartenz. 3 22> (reas) 
°Otto and Dietr., Gartenz. 3 : 223 (1835). 
