2IO SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 54 



his best reason for locating this type in the line of the nightshades is 

 the fact that its herbage exhales the narcotic odor characteristic 

 of all other nightshade allies. Plant classification, then, in Fuch- 

 sius' time has not yet emerged from the period of antiquity ; and 

 botanists are still considering agieement among plants as to their 

 vegetative and qualitative characteristics, giving little heed to 

 those of flowers or fruit. And a fair measure of success not rarely 

 attended taxonomic effort guided by these criteria. But the 

 success, however marked in the case now in mind, was not quite 

 complete. Capsicum is undoubtedly a solanaceous type, but this 

 fact Fuchsius failed to apprehend; yet the failure is not unaccount- 

 able, notwithstanding that, viewed morphologically, capsicum is 

 much more plamly akin to nightshade than is Datura. The plant 

 was a new one in German gardens of the sixteenth century as was also 

 Datura. It had been as unknown to the ancient Greeks, and had 

 no Greek name ; therefore Fuchsius could have placed it next Solan- 

 um. The fact is, no one had yet seen its relationship. The plant 

 lacks the narcotic odor. Every part from leaf to seed is of a peppery 

 odor; and this quality, amounting to a burning pungency of taste, 

 joined to the peculiar medicinal qualities, blinded every one to 

 that affinity for Solanum which every one now sees in Capsicum. 

 It must not, however, be inferred that this principle of qualita- 

 tive agreement is held an inviolable rule in this early taxonomy. 

 "With botanists of that time, quite as with those of every later 

 generation, the endeavors to form groups are dominated sometimes 

 bygone principle, sometimes by another. It is easy to bring forth 

 out[of Fuchsius instances of putting things together a-s of the same 

 genus regardless of odors and flavors and of almost all other marks 

 save those of roots and leaves and general mode of growth. Under 

 the'genus Verbena he figures two species. There is the most decep- 

 tive likeness between the two as to roots, stems, leaves, and a 

 slenderly spicate inflorescence of small flowers; but one of these 

 verbenas is Verbena supina, the other is Sisymbrium Lceselii; a 

 true verbena and a crucifer made congeneric; in the Fuchsian 

 binary nomenclature Verbena recta and Verbena supina.^ It will 

 not be easy for the systematist of to-day to imagine so natural 

 an [alliance as that of the crucifers remaining unrecognized by 

 those who had already recognized the solanaceae; yet as to roots, 

 foliage, and habital characteristics the crucifers differ among 

 themselves a hundred-fold more widely than do the solanaces. 



' Hist. Stirp., pp. S9I-S93- 



