THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. XLIV July, 1910 No. 523 



A CONSIDERATION OF THE "SPECIES PLAN- 

 TARUM" OF LINNAEUS AS A BASIS FOR 

 THE STARTING-POINT OF THE 

 NOMENCLATURE OF 

 CRYPTOGAMS 1 



PROFESSOR W. G. FAR LOW 



At the Congress held in Vienna in 1905 it was voted 

 to adopt Linnaeus 's "Species Plantarum," 1753, as the 

 starting-point of the nomenclature of flowering plants 

 and the question of the starting-point for that of crypto- 

 gams was referred to the congress to be held at Brussels 

 in May, 1910. The adoption of the "Species Plantarum" 

 was endorsed practically by so large a proportion of 

 plmmogamic botanists that its acceptance came as near 

 being universal as could ever be expected in such a case. 

 It may be assumed therefore that the "Species Plan- 

 tarum" is well adapted to serve as a basis for the nomen- 

 clature of phamogams. Were it true that it is as well, or 

 nearly as well, adapted to serve as a basis for the nomen- 

 clature of cryptogams, there would be no hesitation on 

 the part of eryptogamists in adopting it also. If it is not, 

 there is no reason why they should feel under any obliga- 

 tion, for the sake of a merely formal uniformity in nom- 

 enclature, to follow in the steps of other botanists. 



In the first place we may ask why it is that the "Species 



885 



