90 BRITISH CHAROPHYTA. 



summarize, under binominal names, all species of 

 plants then known, and -we think that Linnseus's 

 species should therefore be construed liberally, not 

 narrowing them down to plants actually seen by him,, 

 still less, as some authors have attempted to do, 

 confining them to those forms occurring in Sweden,, 

 but treating them as broad inclusive species, that is 

 such aggregates as might be expected at that time to 

 be regarded as specific units. To fasten a Linnean 

 name to a modern micro-species of bramble, rose, or 

 eyebright, is to verge on the ridiculous. 



Four species were included by Linneeus in ' Species 

 Plantarum,' but much difference of opinion exists as 

 to their retention and application. We have thought 

 it right to retain all the four specific names. The 

 reasons for applying them as we have done are stated 

 at length under the several species. Their original 

 meaning we take to be roughly as follows : — No. 1, 

 tomentosa intended for the plant now bearing the 

 name ; No. 2, vulgaris for the then-known corticate 

 plants without, and No. 3 liispicla for the corticate 

 plants with, conspicuous spine-cells; No. 4, flexilis 

 for the Nitellese as possessing no cortex, and therefore 

 diaphanous. 



The practice of quoting the numerous manuscript 

 names to be found in herbaria has not been followed, 

 our view being that if the originator of a name does 

 not think it worth while to publish it, such a name 

 should not be ascribed to him. In many cases manu- 

 script names are only obiter dicta given provisionally 

 without careful investigation of the plants themselves, 

 or of the descriptions already published, and the cita- 

 tion of such names seems not only to add to the 

 volume of synonymy without serving any useful 

 purpose, but even sometimes to do an injustice to 

 their authors. Where a manuscript name is the first 

 one bestowed upon a plant, it is clearly allowable,, 

 perhaps even desirable, for the author who first 

 describes the species to adopt it, but, for the reasons 



