Vili 
W. R. Gerard, E. Howe and C. H. Peck, and the descriptions of new species 
and list of New Jersey forms by J. B. Ellis, nothing is known of our Fungi; 
and yet the determination of these plants offers no extraordinary difficulties. 
The recent establishment by the Club of permanent Flora Committees 
for both Phanerogamia and Cryptogamia affords good ground for hoping that 
the publication of complete descriptive lists of all the plants of this region will 
not be long deferred. 

PREFACE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE. 
In the preparation of this Catalogue a special effort has been made to 
maintain for each plant as far as possible its earliest specific or varietal name. 
No fixed rule can be laid down for determining the generic names of plants, 
for the boundaries of genera are as shifting and elusive as those of states; 
but, as regards specific names, it is fortunately otherwise. In the case of 
nearly every plant it is possible to ascertain positiyely who first named it 
in accordance with the Linnzan binomial system.* The original author may 
have failed to refer it to the proper genus, either ignorantly or through a 
praiseworthy unwillingness to found new genera except on the strongest 
grounds. But whatever specific or varietal term may have first been applied 
to the plant belongs to it individually, and the most profound subsequent 
knowledge of it or of its relations to other plants cannot warrant any 
essential change in this portion of its name, always barring the cases governed 
by the rule that two species of the same genus must not bear the same name, 
or by the further rule that the generic and specific names must not be identi- 
cal. Transfers from genus to genus, and alterations in rank as regards species 
or variety, must not (except as to gender) in any wise affect the trivial name, 
which is held to be absolutely fixed by the first publication, so that even the 
author is not at liberty thereafter to modify it in any way. 
This law of priority as regards names is recognized to a greater or less 
extent by all botanists. Indeed, chaos would result if it were generally disre- 
garded, and exactly in proportion as it is rigidly obeyed will order and 
stability be gradually evolved from the present confusion. Eminent botanists 
have protested, it is true, against this recognition of the early names of species 
when published originally in other genera, and more especially when a later 
name has gained acceptance. It is admitted that the first result of the 
strict application of this law is a considerable and undesirable increase in the 
number of synonyms and more or less confusion in the minds of botanists, 
students especially. These consequences are but temporary, however, and of 
no real moment weighed against the ultimate benefits to be attained. 
The chief difficulty in the application of this rule is due to the fact that 
Linnzeus himself and many of his successors have left behind them some 
species whose identity from lack of authentic specimens remains doubtful. 
Those utterly impossible of determination may be ignored altogether, but 
others which can be made out with some show of probability present serious 

* Strictly binomial names of pre-Linnzwan date are doubtless entitled to recognition. 
They involve, however, so many difficult questions of identity that it has been deemed best 
in the present work to follow the general rule and take up no names published earlier than 
1753, the date of the first edition of the Species Plantarum of Linnzus. 
