46 LAWS OP NOMENCLATTJEE. 



Assuredly ifj since Brownea was madej there had appeared 

 a botanist of the name of Brunon, no one would have criti- 

 cized a genus called Brunonia ; the generic name Brunonia 

 iS; consequently, admissible. 



28. (3.) Nothing can be more inconvenient, in synonymy, 

 than to have to explain why such a genus of such an 

 author is not such another genus under the same name of 

 the same author at another period. If this occurs in the 

 same Order the difficulty is still greater, and confusion is to 

 be apprehended. 



28. (4.) By dedicating genera to grand personages 

 who are strangers to botany, even to illustrious learned men 

 who have taken no interest in natural sciences, you flatter 

 persons who are oftentimps in no way obliged to you for 

 your attention ; you do not encourage young botanists, who 

 are pleased at a distinction reserved for botanists ; and, per- 

 chance, you may shock national or religious susceptibilities 

 that have surely nothing to do with science. Thus the idea 

 of naming the greatest of trees Wellingtonia is doubly to be 

 regretted. In the first place, it has been found that the 

 genus cannot be distinguished from Sequoia, which has ne- 

 cessarily been retained ; and then the name of Wellingtonia 

 has called forth a useless synonym — WasMngtonia ; in imi- 

 tation of which every nation might have set to framing a 

 name from that of its favourite hero. 



28. (6.) We find it advantageous to have several genera 

 of Ferns with names ending in -'pteris ; several among fossil 

 plants in -ites ; several of the Order of Lauracece in -da'phne, 

 etc. 



29. (3.) Sectional names have sometimes been formed 

 by the addition of -aides or -opsis to the name of the genus • 

 itself. Such a pleonasm may be considered rather weak, as 

 the characters of the section being included in those of the 

 genus, their resemblance is implied. To annul names of 

 this kind would, however, ofier more inconvenience than 

 advantage ; for, on the one hand, the names of sections are 

 seldom quoted ; and, on the other, by changing them, you 

 create fresh synonyms. 



