THE ORCHID WORLD. 



149 



RULES OF HORTICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE ADOPTED BY THE 

 SUB-SECTION ON NOMENCLATURE AT THE INTERNATIONAL 



CONGRESS AT BRUSSELS. 1910. 



THE Royal Horticultural Society having 

 adopted these rules, it is necessary to 

 fully understand them, and also to see 

 how far they will affect the nomenclature of 

 Orchids. To make them more explicit we 

 have given examples, and in many cases 

 added certain remarks which will form matter 

 for further correspondence. 



Article I. — "Horticultural nomenclature is 

 based upon the rules of Botanical Nomen- 

 clature adopted by the International Congress 

 of Botany, held at Vienna in 1905. The 

 Horticultural Congress accept all the prin- 

 ciples, and rules, so far as they apply to names 

 of species and groups of a higher order, 

 but adopt the modifications and additions 

 contained in the following Articles for 

 horticultural varieties and hybrids of culti- 

 vated plants. Among the principles which 

 serve as a basis of these rules it is par- 

 ticularly important not to lose sight of the 

 following " : — 



1. "In all schemes of nomenclature the 

 essential principles are : (a) to aim at fixity of 

 names ; (b) to avoid or discourage the em- 

 ployment of forms or names which are liable 

 to produce errors or uncertainties, or to bring 

 about confusion ; next (c) it is important to 

 avoid the creation of useless names. Other 

 considerations, such as absolute grammatical 

 exactitude, regularity, or euphony in names, 

 more or less in general use, consideration for 

 persons (' authority '), etc., notwithstanding 

 their undisputed importance, are relatively 

 subsidiary." 



2. " Any usage contrary :o the rules may 

 not be maintained if it entails confusion or 

 error. When any usage of this nature is not 

 greatly inconvenient, it may justify excep- 

 tional treatment ; it is necessary, however, to 

 guard against extending or imitating it. 

 Finally, in default of rules, or if the appli- 

 cation of the rule is doubtful, any established 

 usage becomes lawful." 



3. " Each natural group of plants can onl)' 

 carry in science a single valid designation, 



VOL. II. 



viz., ///(' most ancient, provided it conforms 

 with the rules of nomenclature." 



4. " The designation of a group l)y one or 

 several names, has not for its object the 

 expression of the characters or history of the 

 group, but is to give a means of under- 

 standing one another when wishing to speak 

 of it." 



5. "No one has the right to alter a name, 

 or combination of names, without weighty 

 reasons founded upon a very thorough know- 

 ledge of the facts, or upon the necessity of 

 abandoning a nomenclature contrary to the 

 rules." 



6. " Botanical and horticultural nomen- 

 clature commences at the year 1753 for all 

 the groups of vascular plants." 



The above is reprinted from the Journal of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, and the 

 following paragraphs, distinguished by quo- 

 tation marks, are also taken from the same 

 publication. 



Article II. — "It is necessary in naming 

 horticultural varieties of species and simple 

 forms to employ the complete names of the 

 species with the name of the author. The 

 employment of Latin in naming horticultural 

 varieties is authorised only when tlie 

 character of the plant is expressed, e.g., 

 roseum, guttaturn, etc. The use of Latin 

 proper names for such varieties is proscribed. 

 The names of horticultural varieties must 

 always be written in Roman characters." 



Examples : Odontoglossum c r i s p u m 

 aureum, O. c. roseum, and O. c. punctatum are 

 correct, for the third word in each case 

 expresses the character of the flower. But 

 Odontoglossum crispum Pittianum, O. c. 

 Lindenii, and O. c. Sandera^ would not now 

 be correct, the use of Latin proper names 

 being prohibited. 



The probable reason for this method is not 

 obscure. A specific name may be composed 

 of either one or two words. We ha\'e, m the 

 Orchidaceas, Odontoglossum crispum and 



