Blake — New and Noteworthy Compositae 51 
i. 103 (1891). Verbesina fruticosa L. Sp. ed. 2, ii. 1271 (1763), in 
part (excl. syn. Plum., which = Narvalina domingensis (Cass.) 
Less. Syn. 234 (1832)). Bidens frutescens Mill. Gardn. Dict. ed. 
8. no. 4 (1768). Zexmenia costaricensis Benth. in Oerst. Vidensk. 
Meddel. 1852. 95 (1852); Blake, Journ. Bot. liii. 14 (1915). Z. 
nicaraguensis C. Muell. in Walp. Ann. v. 226 (1858), sphalm. 
Narvalina fruticosa (L.) Urban, Symb. Antill. v. 265 (1907), as to 
name-bringing synonym only, in part. — When discussing this 
Species two years ago (Journ. Bot. liii. 13-14 (1915)) I was led to 
adopt for it the name Z. costaricensis Benth., in the belief that 
Miller’s earlier name was to be treated as a still-born name in- 
capable of adoption. Further consideration of the matter, however, 
has convinced me that Miller’s name, although based on nearly 
the same material as Linnaeus’s, is not properly to be treated as 
still-born inasmuch as the Linnaean name was not cited by Miller, 
and hence must be taken up as the oldest available designation for 
the species. The typical smoothish form, to which the above 
synonymy applies, may be called var. genuina. The more pu- 
bescent variety becomes Z. FRuTESCENS var. Villosa (Polak.), 
comb. nov. (Z. villosa Polak. Linnaea xli. 579 (1877); Z. costari- 
censis Benth. var. villosa (Polak.) Blake, Journ. Bot. liii. 14 ( 1915). 
It is unfortunate that the class of names designated, in the 
paper above cited, nomina abortiva, should have suffered the fur- 
ther indignity of a vicarious baptism — for the Latin equivalent 
of the “ totgeborenen Namen” of Schintz & Thellung, as it now 
seems, had not previously appeared in print. Nevertheless, the 
term may find a measure of use as a designation for those mere 
renamings devoid of any basis but caprice which it is the intent 
of the International Rules to consign to eternal desuetude. It 
must be confessed, however, that names of this sort are as a class 
very close to that other group of name-changes, based on oe 
taken identification and usually involving a generic transfer, which 
have no more moral validity but which it has become customary 
to adopt, and which it might be convenient to designate as nomina 
legitimata. The latter class is well exemplified by Gerardia querei- 
folia Pursh (shortly to be discussed in Rhodora); the former by 
Erysimum lyratum Gilib. (see Fernald, Rhodora xi. 139, footnote 1 
(1909), where references will be found to the earlier writings on 
the subject). 
