83 



Nocca and Cracca. — In the recently published contributions 

 from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (new series), 

 No. 20 (Proc. Am. Acad. 36 : 467), Dr. B. L. Robinson gives 

 us a "Synopsis of the Genus Nocca." He remarks: "The 

 name Nocca (given by Cavanilles in 1795 in honor of Dominico 

 Nocca, professor of botany at Padua) is clearly the one to be 

 employed for this genus by those who wish to apply consistently 

 the generally conservative Berlin Rules. From the definite 

 characterization and excellent figure given by Cavanilles there 

 can be no doubt as to the identity of his genus Nocca, and the 

 fact that the name was taken up in the same sense within fifty 

 years by Persoon, Jacquin, La Llave, and Sweet, should es- 

 tablish its validity," 



Dr. Robinson's acceptance of Nocca and his rejection of 

 Cracca are inconsistent ; it is clear that he construes his " generally- 

 conservative " Berlin-fifty-year-limit-rule to suit his fancy. The 

 genus Cracca was employed by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 

 1753, for six species, all subsequently referred to the later 

 genus . Tephrosia of Persoon, 1807; in 1769, sixteen years 

 after Linnaeus' publication, Cracca was used by J. Hill in 

 " Hortus Kewensis " for C. Virginiana, one of the Linnaean 

 species, so its validity is well enough established. Of course the 

 phonetics of these generic names are not very usual, but if Dr. 

 Robinson can go Nocca there seems no good reason why he 

 should not go Cracca. — N. L. Britton. 



Nomenclatural Note. — New names have recently been pro- 

 posed for two of the commonest plants of the Rocky Mountain 

 region. Before accepting them as they stand, certain questions 

 have to be raised, as follows : 



1. Casiillcia alpina (Porter). This was described as a variety 

 of what we used to call C. pallida. It was said to be woolly 

 pubescent, few-flowered, flowers almost concealed in uncolored 

 floral leaves. It is, as I understand it, the form of the species 

 found in the Hudsonian zone, hardly specifically separable from the 

 plant so common lower down. Now Dr. Rydberg (Bull. Torr. 

 Bot. Club, 28 : 29) calls the ordinary plant of lower elevations 



