INTEODUOTION. 15 



xiii., wliich appeared (taking tlie mean of the years of pub- 

 lication) in 1845, give the proportion of 102 synonyms for 

 100 accepted species.' This divergency from Steudel, in 

 so short a period, may be explained by the circumstance 

 that Steudel did not examiae his species one by one, and 

 laid down as admissible aU those that had not been done 

 away with by other authors; whereas the Writers of the 

 ' Prodromus,' having treated their subject monographically, 

 have been able to revise every species, and have reduced 

 many to the rank of simple synonyms. The detailed in- 

 "^exes of Dr. Buck for the last volume have not yet appeared, 

 but I have no doubt that the proportion of synonyms will 

 be very considerable. Accordiug as the volumes of the 

 ' Prodromus ' appear, the proportion of synonyms increases. 

 This may contiaue for a long time yet. The settlement of 

 genera will certainly do away with an important source of 

 synonyms, but there will still be published many carelessly- 

 made species ; some botanists will still need the necessary 

 materials for sound work ; the conception of species wiU long 

 vary j and there wiU always be but few authors that wiU 

 give themselves the trouble to study every form of a spe- 

 cies, or every species of a genus, in the principal herbaria 

 of Europe, — ^which is indispensable for the avoidance of 

 errors. Works got up in special localities, or devoted to 

 isolated species or small groups of species, or from herbo- 

 rization over limited tracts, or founded upon details from in- 

 sufficient herbaria ; and more general works by iacompetent 

 authors, will still continue to be sources of synonyms. 



In all this it is clear that nomenclature plays a very se- 

 condary part. It facilitates working,, by establishing order 

 in facts and ideas, but it does not prevent diversity of 

 opinion as to the limits of genera and species, nor does it 

 place obstacles in the way of superficial, fragmentary works, 

 where the author, shut up in a single country or in a single 

 herbarium, accumulates a number of Hi-made genera, and 



' Calculating in a similar way on pages 10, 20, 30, etc., to 400. They 

 include 816 accepted species and 831 synonyms. 



