Vlll 



W. R. Gerard, E. Howe and C. H. Peck, and the descriptions of new species 

 and list of New Jersey forms by J. B. Ellis, nothing is known of our Fungi ; 

 and yet the determination of these plants offers no extraordinary difficulties. 

 The recent establishment by the Club of permanent Flora Committees 

 for both Phanerogamia and Cryptogamia affords good ground for hoping that 

 the publication of complete descriptive lists of all the plants of this region will 

 not be long deferred. 



PKEFAOE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NOMENOLATUEE. 



In the preparation of this Catalogue a special effort has been made to 

 maintain for each plant as far as possible its earliest specific or varietal name. 

 No fixed rule can be laid down for determining the generic names of plants, 

 for the boundaries of genera are as shifting and elusive as those of states ; 

 but, as regards specific names, it is fortunately otherwise. In the case of 

 nearly every plant it is possible to ascertain positively who first named it 

 in accordance with the Linnsean binomial system.* The original author may 

 have failed to refer it to the proper genus, either ignorantly or through a 

 praiseworthy unwillingness to found new genera except on the strongest 

 grounds. But whatever specific or varietal term may have first been applied 

 to the plant belongs to it individually, and the most profound subsequent 

 knowledge of it or of its relations to other plants cannot warrant any 

 essential change in this portion of its name, always barring the cases governed 

 by the rule that two species of the same genus must not bear the same name, 

 or by the further rule that the generic and specific names must not be identi- 

 cal. Transfers from genus to genus, and alterations in rank as regards species 

 or variety, must not (except as to gender) in any wise affect the trivial name, 

 which is held to be absolutely fixed by the first publication, so that even the 

 author is not at liberty thereafter to modify it in any way. 



This law of priority as regards names is recognized to a greater or less 

 extent by all botanists. Indeed, chaos would result if it were generally disre- 

 garded, and exactly in proportion as it is rigidly obeyed will order and 

 stability be gradually evolved from the present confusion. Eminent botanists 

 have protested, it is true, against this recognition of the early names of species 

 when published originally in other genera, and more especially when a later 

 name has gained acceptance. It is admitted that the first result of the 

 strict application of this law is a considerable and undesirable increase in the 

 number of synonyms and more or less confusion in the minds of botanists, 

 students especially. These consequences are but temporary, however, and of 

 no real moment weighed against the ultimate benefits to be attained. 



The chief difficulty in the application of this rule is due to the fact that 

 Linnaeus himself and many of his successors have left behind them some 

 species whose identity from lack of authentic specimens remains doubtful. 

 Those utterly impossible of determination may be ignored altogether, but 

 others which can be made out with some show of probability present serious 



* Strictly binomial names of pre-Linnaean date are doubtless entitled to recognition. 

 They involve, however, so many difficult questions of identity that it has been deemed best 

 in the present work to follow the general rule and take up no names published earlier than 

 1753, the date of the first edition of the Species riantarum of Linnaeus. 



