NOTES ON NEW AND OLD GENERA OF PLANTS 333 
CRITICAL NOTES OF NEW AND OLD GENERA OF 
PLANTS.— VI. 
BY J. A. NIEUWLAND. 
NYCTERIUM. 
The plants now included generally in Solanum having the 
fifth stamen different in shape and usually larger than the other 
four well deserve by this one notable character alone, to constitute 
a separate genus. The name Nycterium for these plants was 
proposed by Ventenat.' T'wo species are native within the limits 
of this country. The genus well deserves the recognition it had 
already by a considerable number of noted botanists, such as 
Torrey, Link, Lindley, Sweet, Don, Engelmann, etc. 
Nycterium Vent. |. c. 
Solanum VLjinn., in part. 
Nycterium rostratum Link, Enum. Hort. Berol I, 189 (1821). 
Solanum rostratum Dunal, Sol., 234 pl. 24 (1813), Solanum 
heterandrum Pursh, FJ]. Am. Sept., 156, pl. (1814). Nycterium 
heterandrum Heynh., Norm. II, 440 (1840). 
Nycterium citrullifolium (Braun) Nwd. 
Solanum citrullifolium Braun, Ind. Sem. Frib. (1849). 
PTERETIS AGAIN. 
In the September number of Rhodora Fernald’? shows that 
out Ostrich Fern is really distinct from the European Matteucia 
Struthiopteris and gives it the name Matteucia nodulosa (Michx) 
Fernald (Onoclea nodulosa Michx.). We? have already pointed 
out that Pteretts Raf. (1818) antedated Matteucia Todara (1866). 
Was not perhaps Pleretis rejected with right for the reason given 
that names held to for fifty years are nomina rejicienda to give 
way to later nomina conservanda. A moment’s reflection will 
show that even if the name Matteucia had been wumiversally 
accepted, which is not true, it had not been accepted for fifty 
years at that. Then for what reason was it cast of. We had sug- 
gested severa] reasons why it might not prove acceptable.* We 
* Ventenat, E. P., Malm. sub. t. 85 (1803). 
S VOk Ata; p.21OL (rors); 
3Am. Mid. Nat., Vol. III, 197 (1914). 
4 Am. Mid. Nat. 1. c. 
