224 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



description. He reduced plant names to two : a generic name and 

 a specific name. The specific name is the name applied to plants 

 which are of one kind, and these constitute a species ; and the gen- 

 eric name is that applied to a group of nearly related species, each 

 group constituting a genus. Thus the oaks make up a genus of 

 plants to which the Latin name Quercus signifying " beautiful 

 tree " is applied. But we know that the oaks are not all alike 

 and different names are applied to the different kinds, as the 

 white oak which has the specific name alba; the plant therefore 

 is known scientifically as Quercus alba; while the black oak is 

 known as Quercus velutina. 



Nearly related genera are brought together in groups known 

 as FAMILIES. Thus we have the Mint Family known as the Labi- 

 atae, which comprises a number of related genera, such as Mentha, 

 Hedeoma, Salvia, etc. Still larger groups of related families make 

 up Orders, as the Graminales, including the Graminese or Grass 

 Family and the Cyperaceae or Sedge Family. Orders make up 

 classes and sub-classes, as the Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. 



The names of genera consist of one word which is a singular 

 Latin noun, and are derived in various ways, as Sanguinaria, so 

 named because of the red or sanguine character of the juice; Cas- 

 tanea which is named from Castanea in Thessaly the home of the 

 chestnut ; Ricinus from the Latin word meaning " bug," because 

 of the resemblance of the seed to a bug; Digitalis, so named from 

 the finger-shaped corolla. 



Specific names are generally adjectives and must agree in gen- 

 der with the generic name. Thus we have Medicago virginica in 

 which the endings are feminine ; Lepidium virginicum in which 

 the endings are neuter, and Sporobolus virginicns which has mas- 

 culine endings. Like the generic name the specific name is derived 

 in various ways, but it usually indicates some peculiarity of the 

 plant. Thus the specific name in Gentiana lutea, refers to the 

 golden-yellow flowers ; in Conium maculatum, the specific name 

 has reference to the brownish-purple spots on the stem; in 

 Brassica nigra, the word nigra has reference to the black seeds ; in 

 Aristolochia reticulata, the specific name refers to the reticulated 

 leaves ; and in Phytolacca^ decandra, the word decandra has refer- 

 ence to the ten stamens. 



