THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



17 



while others are strictly staminate or pistillate. The old terms, 

 male and female, are usually avoided in modern botanical 

 writings as modified views, too recondite for present discus- 

 sion, now prevails. These are interesting from an evolu- 

 tionary point of view, as going to show genetic connection 

 between the lowest and highest plants. 



Our plant's other popular name is equally erroneous and 

 founded merely on a family resemblance to the actual arbutus, 

 a shrub of Europe. The scientific apellation, Epigaea repens, 

 is pretty and significant and denotes that it grows upon the 

 ground — a fact, indeed, which both generic and specific names 

 emphasize. ''A creeping plant which grows upon the earth" 

 is surely sufiiciently redundant, not to say a bit absurd, but 

 one is often better oft" for not being able to read one's libretto. 



There are two very closely related species, ours and the 

 very similar one of Japan. It may perhaps be remembered by 

 some readers, and will interest all, that one of the observations 

 which entitle Asa Gray to his world wide fame, is his discov- 

 ery and proof that the plants of eastern North America, very 

 closely resemble, and- in many cases are identical with, those 

 of eastern Asia. This subject is pleasantly discussed in Gray's 

 "Darwiniana" in the Chapter entitled ''Sequoia." 



The use of a scientific name when euphonius is often de- 

 sirable, as it is employed by the scientific world, hence the 

 employment of latin as the court or diplomatic language. Ours 

 is not as strict latin, even, as that of the church, but being 

 devoid of verbs is easy to acquire. It is much too mongrelized 

 with greek. ''Mayflower," however, would convey either an 

 erroneous or no idea to a Russian or a Japanese or even a 

 Frenchman, and "arbutus" would confuse a Swiss or Italian 

 having in mind a very different plant. I should add that I 

 believe in employing the vernacular when pretty and befitting. 

 Who would wish to sacrifice the dear old English names daisy 

 (the "day's eye" of Chaucer), primrose (the "first rose"). 



