Fink: Nature and Classification of Lichens 261 



Quotation 34 



Lichens should be distributed among the fungi as rapidly as 

 their relationships are pretty clearly made out. Among my 

 reasons for such distribution are the following: (a) An arrange- 

 ment of plants (classification) should represent real relationship. 

 (b) We now know enough regarding the affinities of the fungi 

 concerned to enable us to treat them as parasitic fungi, and there- 

 fore to give them place among fungus genera and families, (c) 

 To maintain the lichens as a separate " class " of plants is dis- 

 tinctly misleading to the botanical student. Morphologist, a. 



Quotation 35 



I am inclined to classify botanists into two groups so far as 

 they hold definite opinions. One group considers classification 

 and nomenclature generally as a means of identifying specimens 

 or things and cares very little about the significance which the 

 system or names may be supposed to exhibit inside the group or 

 to outside forms. Convenience in finding or applying a name 

 largely dominates other considerations. Such botanists are con- 

 servative; they want as little change as possible and are usually 

 well satisfied with a crude system if it has once received the 

 sanction of authority and become fairly well known. The second 

 class is eager to make the classification and nomenclature fit into 

 a general scheme of relationship which takes into consideration, 

 not only the convenience of finding and applying names, but also 

 the fullest indication of biological relationship and affinities be- 

 tween members of the group and outside forms as well. I 

 believe such botanists, as a rule, deprecate change on account of 

 the inconvenience which results, quite as much as do the first class, 

 but believe that temporary inconvenience should be endured be- 

 cause of the greater development and clearer understanding which 

 the new system permits. From this crude statement I think 

 you will readily gather that I believe that distributing the lichens 

 with the fungi better illustrates the relationship which these 

 organisms hold to other plants than could be done by maintaining 

 them as a distinct class. Mycologist, Pathologist, a. 



