VII 
NAMING OF PLANTS 
HE real or technical names of plants, which at first appear 
long and unpronounceable, are in reality simple when the 
system of naming is understood. Every plant has a generic and 
a specific name. The generic name is analogous to the surname of 
a person, such as Smith or Jones. The specific name is analogous 
to the Christian name of a person, such as John or James. The 
specific name never stands alone, and would have as little desig- 
nating character as John or James 
This is called the binomial (two-name) nomenclature. It was 
introduced by Linneus, and greatly simplified the system of 
naming. The rule in scientific nomenclature is that all names 
must be Latin or Latinized. This gives a universal language by 
which scientists of all countries understand one another. 
The names of classes (the highest groups) and subclasses are 
adjectives or adjective nouns, expressing the most prominent 
characteristic of the class or subclass. Thus the four subclasses 
of the class Alge are: 
Cyanophycee (subclass of blue-green alge). 
Chlorophycee (subclass of grass-green algz). 
Phoophycew (subclass of dusky-brown or olive-green alges). 
Rhodophycee or Floridee (subclass of red algee). 
Orders are, with few exceptions, the names of genera with the 
termination -acew, as: 
Ulwacee, from the genus Ulva. 
Ectocarpacew, from the genus Ectocarpus, 
Gigartinacee, from the genus Gigartina. 
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