A. Gray—Gender of Names of Varieties. 397 
which is readily explained, and which may be said to be acci- 
dental, such as 
Ripogonum album, var. leptostachya, Benth. 
This is as one writes “forma albiflora” or “ Var. albiflora,” 
a white-flowered form or variety. But that this is not the 
pattern nor the true construction of varietal names appears at 
n reference to ordinary cases. us, for example, in 
“Nasturtium amphibium, a indivisum, Syst.” 
an undivided variety of the species that is meant, but a 
name which stands in the same grammatical relation to Nastur- 
Viburnum dentatam, var. a glabellum, 8 semitomentosum. 
Rhus Toxicodendron, var. a vulgare,’ {3 quercifolium 
The editor of the Gardener’s Chronicle (March 22, p. 378), 
having put this kind of question to M. Alphonse de Candolle 
whom we should consider the highest living authority upon 
nomenclatural matters), understands him to reply that “ the 
Insertion of the abbreviation var. for varietas, which is femi- 
tine, demands a feminine termination; but if the word var. be 
Omitted, then the rule would be for the variety to follow the 
specific name ;”—meaning probably the generi¢e name, for in 
one of the examples given, “ Thymus Serpylium, 8 montanus,” 
it does not follow the specific. 
From this point of view, viz: that where the nature of the 
group (in this case, variety) is expressed the adjective name 
Should be feminine, but where only understood, it might be 
masculine or neuter—we must commend the editor's closing re- 
‘Perhaps the simplest and most easily recollected rule, would 
be to make the varietal name feminine in all cas ther 
the var. or varietas, were expressed or understood. This at 
least would be intelligible, and would conduce to uniformity 
of practice.” 2 
t would also be logical, and the logic also would require all 
specific names to be feminine; for the word understood, species, 
18 feminine. : ” 
Now we do not suppose that M. de Candolle would tolerate 
a double set of genders for the names of varieties. His doctrine 
1s that the “yar.” should be discarded and the Greek letters 
