50 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



the fashion of coffee grains. The color of the seeds is green- 

 ish gray, like green coffee, but whereas coffee berries or grains 

 are borne in a scarlet pulp JatropJia seeds are enclosed in a 

 yellowish-green sack on stems an inch or two long. 



PLANT NAMESAKES OF PRESIDENTS 



By Charles Francis Saunders. 



"O OTANISTS have a pleasant practice of sometimes nam- 

 ing newly discovered plants for people whom they wish 

 to honor, and it may not be generally known that in the flora 

 of the United States are plants whose scientific appellations 

 perpetuate the memory of two of our Presidents. The name 

 Washingtonia, in honor of Washington, was given by the emi- 

 nent European palmographer, Wendland, to a genus of stately 

 palms of the Pacific Coast — trees which have been introduced 

 into cultivation both here and abroad, and are known in popu- 

 lar speech as the California Fan Palm. 



Barton, a Philadelphia botanist of a centur}^ ago, gave the 

 name Jeffersonia to a genus of plants represented in the United 

 States by a single species — a neat little white-blossomed herb 

 which blooms in spring woods, mainly of our Middle West. 

 It is popularly known as twin-leaf and rheumatism root, and 

 enjoys some reputation as a medicinal plant, the rootstock col- 

 lected in autumn possessing diuretic and stimulating properties. 

 It was probably Thomas Jefferson's scientific tastes and labors, 

 rather than his statesmanship, that influenced Dr. Barton in 

 naming this rather uncommon herb; nevertheless, if the great 

 political party which holds Jefferson as patron saint ever wants 

 a party flower, here is one ready to its hand. 



