12 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The nomenclature of plants is a subject upon whicli it is 
becoming more and more necessary to have some common under- 
standing between botanists and horticulturists. At the last meeting 
of the Floral Committee a plant was submitted to it with the name 
of Lilium hulhiferum Thunhergianum aureum nigro-maculatum. As 
Lilies are now favourite objects of culture, this name is quite 
likely to receive further distinctive additions. N"ow it seems to me 
that for trade purposes such a name must be almost a deterrent to 
purchasers. People grumble often at a plant having two Latin 
names ; they will grumble still more at its possessing half-a-dozen. 
The remedy, I think, lies in adopting De Candolle's suggestion — 
that we should restrict Latin names to species and varieties occurring 
spontaneously in Nature, and should give to forms which make their 
appearance in gardens names in a modern language. This expedient 
would tell us in a moment whether any particular plant was or was 
not of garden origin, and from the language the name would also 
inform us whether it was raised by English, French, or German 
horticulturists. Still, certain modifications of botanical nomen- 
clature must, I think, be tolerated in horticulture. In the first 
place, reliance has often to be placed upon distinctions which, in 
a botanist's eyes, seem of little importance. It cannot be objected 
very much, therefore, if very well-marked varieties or sub-species 
are treated as if they were speciesfor purposes of garden nomenclature. 
If there is some tangible character by which they can be dis- 
tinguished from their allies, it is easy to ascertain by reference to 
books the rank that botanists give them. It is often necessary, as 
more is known about the plants which grow upon the earth's surface, 
to change generic and specific names. There is usually a good 
reason to be assigned for doing this, but it is undoubtedly a grave 
source of inconvenience. Botanists will not, therefore, blame 
horticulturists if they keep to many of the old names, of which it 
is generally easy to determine the most recently recognised equiva- 
lent. Odontoglossum crispum is the original and lawful name of 0. 
Alexandrcdj but it is not now very likely to supplant the name most in 
use. When plants have been placed, however, from the first in genera 
which are obviously wrong, I think an efi'ort should be made to 
give them their proper position. Having made the concessions 
above mentioned, I feel that it is an absolute duty to protest against 
plants avowedly of garden origin having, under any circumstances, 
names given to them which are of the same form as those which 
are given to species spontaneously occurring in Nature. The case 
of hybrids is an exception, but it would be better if the name 
