No. 523] 



THE 11 SPECIES PLANT A RUM 



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One would be glad to adopt as a basis of nomenclature 

 some one work which bears the same relation to crypto- 

 gams as does the "Species Plantarum" to phamogarns, 

 but there has never been any such work and there never 

 will be, for a very good reason. The phasnogams form a 

 homogeneous group. The cryptogams do not, but consist 

 of a number of different groups, and the fundamental 

 works relating to them appeared at different dates, all, 

 however, considerably later than 1753. The specialists 

 who study bryophytes, lichens, alga? and fungi are en- 

 tirely justified in adopting different works as a basis of 

 nomenclature. The question they should ask is: What 

 was the first work on bryophytes, on lichens, on alga?, on 

 fungi, in which those groups were scientifically and com- 

 prehensively treated ? 



It is not possible to enter at this time on a general con- 

 sideration of this point. Although that part of Linnams 's 

 "Species" which relates to bryophytes appears to have 

 greater value than that which relates to thallophytes, 

 since for one reason his citations of Dillenius's figures 

 help one to understand to what plants the brief descrip- 

 tions were applied, it must certainly be admitted that 

 Hedwig's "Species Muscorum," of which the first vol- 

 ume appeared in 1801, is the fundamental work on mosses 

 and that Hedwig, with whom the scientific study of 

 mosses began, may be called the Linnaeus of bryology. 

 Acharius stands in the same relation to lichenology, and 

 it is a question to be settled by lichenologists whether the 

 "Lichenographia Universalis" of 1810 or the earlier 

 "Methodus" is to be given the preference. For alga?, 

 the "Systema Algarum" of C. A. Agardh has been sug- 

 gested. It is, however, out of the question to refer more 

 in detail to the groups just mentioned, but it will be suffi- 

 cient if we consider the case of fungi somewhat more 

 minutely, although the subject is perplexing and compli- 

 cated even to those more particularly interested in this 

 group and probably wearisome to others. 



In the "Species Plantarum" 1,073 pages are given to 



