NATURAL ORDERS AND GENERA OF BOMBAY PLANTS. 247 



class or order the genus belonged to when it was discovered or named. 

 Another miscellaneous type of names is that of fanciful names. Zephy- 

 ranthes is an example of it. Sometimes two difterent names are formed 

 out of the same words by using them in different sequence. Examples from 

 the Bombay flora are afforded by Cissampelos and Ampelocissus. Some 

 names differ very slightly and their use requires careful attention. Kiemp- 

 feria and Ksempfera, Maba and Mabea, Sebastiania and Sebastiana''- are 

 some of these confusing pairs. Lastly, I would refer here to the fact that 

 the same name is used by more than one author to designate different 

 plants. Arthraxon is a member of the order Graminete and also of Loran- 

 thacese. Manisuris stands for two different genera of Graminete. In such 

 cases the author's name is added to avoid confusion. Conversely, one and 

 the same genus has more than one name. This has necessitated the for- 

 mulation of the rule of priority, and introduced a host of synonyms in 

 botanical nomenclature. 



The plan of binomial nomenclature which is universally adopted in Botany 

 and Zoology originated with Linnteus, or as he preferred to be known 

 Linneus. Before his time, the names of plants generally consisted of three 

 words, and these were frequently followed by some more. Thus Bidens 

 pilosa was Bidens latifolia hirsutior semine angustiore radiato before 

 Linnteus. I close this introduction with the canons on scientific nomen- 

 clature in botany drawn up by Linnpeus.f The listj of Bombay genera 

 that follows illustrates how far these canons are observed in the forma- 

 tion of generic names in botany. 



1. The names of plants are of two kinds : those of the class and order, 

 which are understood ; and those of the genus and species, which are 

 expressed. The names of the class and order never enter into the denomi- 

 nations of a plant. 



2. All plants agreeing in genus are to have the same generic naine. 



3. All plants differing in genus are to have a distinct generic name. 



4. Each generic name must be single. 



5. Two different genera cannot be designated hy the same name. 



6. It is the business of those who distinguish new genera to name them. 



7. Generic names derived from barbarous languages ought on no 

 account to be admitted. 



8. Generic names compounded of two entire words are improper, and 

 ought to be excluded. Thus Vitis-Ideea must give way to Vaccinium, and 

 Crista-Galli to Ehinanthus. 



9. Generic names formed of two Latin words are scarcely tolerable. 

 Some of them have been admitted, such as CoTnucopir£, Jiosmctrinus, Semper- 

 vivum, &c., but these examples are not to be imitated. 



10. Generic names formed half of Latin and half of Greek are hybrid, 

 and on no account to be admitted ; such as C^ndea-nindum, Chrysanthem- 

 indum, &c. 



11. Generic names compounded of the entire generic name of one plant, 

 and a portion of that of another, are unworthy of Botany ; Cannacorws, 

 'LWionarcissus, Lauroce>'«szis. 



12. A generic name, to which is prefixed one or more syllables, so as to 

 alter its signification, and render it applicable to other plants is not 

 admissible ; as i??«/6ocastanum, Cy?zocrambe, C/;a»i«nerium. 



* These belong- to the orders Zingiberace^, Verbenacete, Ebenaceaj, Euphor- 

 biacete, BuphorbiaceEe and Compositas, respectively. 



t I have taken these from R. H. Alcock's Botanical Names for English Readers, 

 London, 1876, pp. 64—66. 



% See pp. 262 et. seq. 



