NATURAL ORDERS AND GENERA OF BOMBAY PLANTS. !>45 



and white, topmost or tubercular. As flowers often appeal to our testhetic 

 sense, we get names like Gloriosa, Asphodelus, Bellis, Eucharis, and so on. 

 Such names refute, by the way, the charge against botanists of their being 

 dead to the sesthetic aspect of plant life. Other descriptions are more 

 precise. They refer to some particular part of the plant. In this group a 

 large number refer to the flower. For instance, Anthemis, Cherianthus, 

 Helianthus, Plectranthus, and Strophanthus. Others describe the inflores- 

 cence, like Dichrostachys and Stachytarpheta. Yet others describe a 

 particular part of the flower such as calyx, corolla, stamens and pistil or 

 their subdivisions. The following are among the names so derived : — 

 Calycopteris, Dimorphocalyx ; Bursinopetalum ; Crossandra, Andrographis ; 

 Anisonema ; Centratherum, Platanthera ; Gynocardia, Mitragyne ; Rhyncho- 

 stylis, Stylosanthes ; Stigmaphyllon and Streptostigma. The fruit and 

 seeds have a fair share of names after them. Thus we have Alysicarpus, 

 Psophocarpus, Semecarpus ; Baliospermum, Dicoelospermum, Gymnosporia* 

 and Pittosporum. The vegetative parts like the root, the shoot and the 

 leaf contribute names like the following to indicate peculiarities in these 

 parts of the plant. Acanthorhiza, Ehizophora ; Chloroxylon, Myroxylon ; 

 Eriocaulon ; Ancistrocladus ; AUophylus, Bulbophyllum, and Graptophyllum. 

 Structures of a lesser morphological importance like the wing, the corona, 

 or the gland are referred to in names like Aspidopteris, Sarcostemma, 

 Dicoma and Leptadenia. On scanning the list of Bombay genera for the 

 names after colours, we get names like Beta, Coccinia, Erythrina, Flaveria, 

 Melastoma, Rubia and Xanthium. Another interesting collection of names 

 could be made by bringing together all names containing a numerical 

 reference. We then come across names like Decaneurum, Enneapogon, 

 Haplanthus Monochoria, Trias and Trigonella. 



Of descriptive names relating the properties or uses, we have a rather 

 limited number, but every one of them is interesting. A collection of this 

 as well as other groups of names will be found at the end of this paper. 

 It may be observed here in passing that in spite of Panax we are still 

 without a panacea, and persons die of snake bites though we have Ophi- 

 oxylon. On the other hand, we have Piscidia, Sapindus and Theobroma 

 that well come upto their professions, and Artocarpus is a veritable bread- 

 fruit in some parts of the world. The names after the habitat are almost 

 always correctly applicable. As examples I should select Halocharis, 

 Heleocharis, Hygrophila, Limnanthemum and Salsola. A glance at the 

 numerous ponds in the Bombay Presidency towards the end of the mon- 

 soons would convince any one that Limnanthemum is the flower of our 

 ponds. A large group of descriptive names embodies some comparison. 

 The comparison is made with other plants, or with animals, or with some 

 familiar inanimate object around us. In the first set we get names like 

 Cissampelos, Filicium, Nothopegia and Asparagopsis. The second set 

 yields names like Cocos, Croton, Cynodon, Geranium, Leonotis, Mimusops, 

 Orchis, Ricinus and Tragus. It requires a vivid imagination to realise 

 the resemblance fancied by the botanical authors of these names. The 

 comparison is closer in the third set of names, though monkeys, cranes, 

 lions and goats are nearer plants than rattles, tiles, lamps and ships to 

 which our attention is invited by Crotalaria, Geissaspis, Lychnis and 

 Nauclea. 



Geographical names are not much used to express genera. They are 

 more largely used to form the specific names. Nor are they easy of recog- 

 nition. Thus, few would suspect the well known city of Ujjain hidden 

 behind Ougeinia. It is easier to see Aden in Adenium. Other names of 



A somewhat misleadingr name, as it does not belong to the Gymnosperms. 



