191 



by which to connect the name with the plant, and indeed there will 

 be such charm in the association that it will never fade from his 

 memory. I will set forth a few instances : 



"Baiihinia has two-lobed leaves, or two as it were growing from 

 the same base — being called after the noble pair of brothers, 

 Bauhin. 



"Scheuchzeria is grassy and alpine, being called after the famous 

 pair of brothers, Scheuchzer, of whom the one was eminent for 

 his knowledge of grasses, the other for his knowledge of alpine 

 plants. ... 



"Linnaea was named by the celebrated Gronovius and is a plant 

 of Lapland, lowly, insignificant, disregarded, flowering but for a 

 brief space — from Linnaeus who resembles it." 



Finally, lest our horticultural friends should take too much heart 

 from Linnaeus' gibes at "ell-long," "difficult," and "unpleasant" 

 names, let them note that he regarded (at this time) all varieties 

 as monstrosities, and on horticultural names delivered himself as 

 follows : "Botanists dififer from florists in their conception of vari- 

 eties in this respect : that the former bestow varietal names by way 

 of defining and expressing in words some unique characteristic 

 in the variety : and this seems to me a fitting proceeding : but the 

 latter do reverence to the objects of their worship with names 

 showing their devotion, lest anyone with unwashen hands should 

 approach the mystery of their noble art." 



What would he think today ? 



New York Botanical Garden 

 New York, N. Y. 



An Unstable Dicentra 



P. J. VAN MeLLE 



In a number of gardens, including the Thompson Memorial Rock 

 Garden of the New York Botanical Garden and the Lown Memo- 

 rial Garden at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Dicentra oregana Eastw. has 

 become larger statured, less glaucous leaved, and pink-fiowered, a 

 condition in which it appears to be indistinguishable from D. for- 

 mosa. This would seem sufficient grounds upon which to challenge 

 the specific standing of D. oregana. 



