232 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
extreme difficulty to be certain that no earlier specifie name has 
been used for the same plant under some remote genus. (6) Priority 
by such masters of botanical taxonomy as Bentham, Hooke 
and Asa Gray. 
‘* Note.—The rigid ee at of any rule of priority is sure to cause, at 
least seis the transition riod, a certain inconvenience. Should it be thought 
that a consistent app! of stloxity under the genus ‘would bri g tt 
great change, the undersigned would approve the appointment of a committee 
by the International Botanical Congress, to draw up a list to aie not over 
0 well-known and widely distributed species, such as Ipomoea Pes- - 
eapre, Abutilon Avicenne, ete. e current names of which, alih ough not in 
bora an priority under the genus, might by special agreement be allowed to 
and,”’ 
Art. 59.—On this point also we agree with the botanists of the 
Gray Herbarium, Amendments, p. 7. 
[It is coe that the later of two homonyms should be 
promptly abandoned in case the earlier one is a valid name. If, 
on the other hand, the earlier of two homonyms is universally 
regarded as invalid, its existence in synonymy forms no adequate 
hen, cour 
reason for disturbing the second. W however, in the se of 
investigation the earlier homonym is 8 ame, the 
ater one must give place, and the second plant or group of plants 
mss be renamed. A valid name is on tak 
egard as 
in it cannot be definitely entered insynonomy. For instance, there 
is no reason to abandon Setaria of Beauvois because of Setaria of 
Acharius, the latter being a name never now employed by licheno- 
logists, although not with much definiteness placed in synonomy. 
On the — hand, the serious revival of the earlier of two homo- 
nyms in any monograph or flora is, it is believed, a sufficient ground 
for changing the other.” 
ProposeD ghey IN THE Law oF aceite 
REGARDS PHANEROGAM 
Art, 16 bis. Peace na two or more name is signify the same 
1ing (genus or ect have bien published at the same 
rh e in the same work, the author who first unites them 
determines which of the two names shall be retained. 
Art. gah roe and specific names date from the publication 
of Linneeus’s Species Plinsav i in 17 
Art. 37. apis of subspecies and varieties, w hich must be preceded 
y the term subsp. or var., are formed in the same way as 
= me names, follow them in order, beginning with 
ae the higher rank. 
Instead of Ar i —A name is published when it has been Poa 
and distributed with a description, or with a plate, or 
rence to a previously published cel dvs or 
