378 
THE CAPRIOLA OF ADANSON. 
By W. P. Hiern, M.A., F.L.S. 
Accorpine to the Index Kewensis and other good authorities, 
the genus Cynodon Rich. (1805) enjoys as synonyms Capriola 
Adans. (1763), Dactilon Vill. (1787), and Fibichia Koel. (1802) ; 
and Dr. O. Kuntze, accepting the first of these synonyms as being 
the oldest generic name, has called our grass Capriola Dactylon 
; e 
and the name in familiar use is Cynodon Dactylon Pers. (1805). 
But a doubt has been raised, calling in question the correctness 
of the change. Mr. Theodor Holm, of the United States Department 
of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., discussed the question in the 
Botanical Gazette, xxv. pp. 47-52 (Jan. 1898); he said (p. 48): 
‘The fact is that Capriola was intended for Panicum sanguinale or 
which is applicable to Cynodon, although not sufficiently diagnostic, 
there is quoted in the index (ii. p. 532), ‘«‘Carrrona, Leonic. Gramen 
: Holm; on p. 127 (1529), 
beside the name Sanguinaria in the margin, the following passage 
is question : 
asperis, & circa uias: t autem et rationé curtam galli crus, 
quim ctiam sanguinaria nominetur, ed quod seilicet naribus 
