ROBINSON.— DIAGNOSES ETC. OF SPERMATOPHYTES. 509 
Furthermore the species seems to have passed out of cultivation long 
ago and is now obscure. The object of the present note is merely to 
call attention to the fact that, judged from character and Loddiges’ 
colored plate, the species would seem to be exceedingly close to if not 
entirely pea with P. linifolium (L.) DC., var. brevifolium (Hook. 
& Arn.) Bak. Fl. Bras. vi. pt. 3, 283, t. 80, f. 2 (1884), a maritime 
plant, oe of Uruguay. 
PoROPHYLLUM RUDERALE and P. ELiipricum. Urban, Symb. Ant. 
i. 467 (1900), unites these species under the name P. ellipticwm Cass. 
Dict. Sci. Nat. xlii. 56 (1826). This course may have been suggested 
by the fact that P. ellipticum Cass., a mere renaming of the original 
Cacalia Porophyllum L. Sp. Pl. ii. 834 (1753), in a certain sense per- 
petuates the earlier element in the combined species. However, the 
course is contrary to the International Rules of Botanical Nomen- 
clature, which in Art. 46 are as follows: “ Dans le cas de réunion de 
deux ou plusieurs groupes de méme nature, le nom le plus ancien 
subsiste.”3 In this case the oldest available name (the Linnaean 
specific name being rejected on account of its identity with the generic 
name) is ruderale, which going back to —_ ruderalis J acq. Enum. 
28 (1760), much antedates ellipticum of Cassin 
The writer fully concurs with Prof. Tien that the two plants 
should be treated as mere varieties of the same species. The following 
‘ naming will correspond to the requirements of the International Rules. 
P. RUDERALE (Jacq.) Cass. Dict. Sci. Nat. xliii. 56 (1826), at least 
as to name-bringing synonym. Kleinia ruderalis Jacq. Enum. 28 
(1760). Cacalia ruderalis (Jacq.) Sw. Prod. 110 (1788). Porophyllum 
ellipticum, var. B ruderale (Cass.) Urb. Symb. Ant. i. 468 (1900). 
P. ruderale, var. ellipticum (Cass.) Gray in herb. P. ellipticum 
Cass. Dict. Sci. Nat. xliii. 56 (1826). 
Favsasta FLExuosA (Lam.) Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Pl. ii. 443 
(1873) ace. to Hook. f. & Jacks. Ind. Kew. i. 948 (1893). Identical 
with this species appears to be Cacalia cuspidata Klatt, Ann. Sci. Nat. 
ii ie may be oP here that the English translation is inaccurate and mis- 
the g. en two or more groups of the same nature are re uni 
ra name of the « oldest is maintained.”’ In this very case it may be seen that 
d . name of the older species is ellipticum for that s species (under another 
€signation, it is true) dates back to 1753, indeed even into pre-Linnaean 
plus haonee othe r interpretation from the official French versi \ 
sion which happily, as well as the German ‘‘der aces Name,”’ is 
