RULES FOR PRONOUNCING THE NAMES OF PLANTS, ETC. 
Botanical names of plants are formed according to the analogies of the ancient 
languages, chiefly the Ijatin. Some of the most common terminations of names oi 
<)enera and Species, are in a, urn, us, and is ; for example, the generic names Qe- 
RARDiA, Trifolium, Prunus, and Ibis ; and the specific names, virginicum, candidum, 
blandus, and officinalis. A great proportion of botanical names terminate in a, in 
which case the word has the sound of a m father, as Rosa, Viola, <fec. 
The letter e at the end of a word is always sounded ; for example, Anemone, 
pronounced anem"o-ne. 
The e is long before s, when it ends a word, as Bicor"nes, pronounced Bicor-nees. 
In words that end in ides, the i is short, as in Hester" ides. 
The vowels ae and oe are often used as diphthongs, and then have the sound of e, 
AS Hepaticce, pronounced Hepat'ice, and Di-oe-cia, pronounced Di-e-cia. 
C and g, as in English, are soft before e, i, and ?/, and hard before a, o, and u 
The soft sound of c is like s, the hard sound like k. The soft sound of g is like j, 
the hard sound like g, in the word gave ; thus Algce is pronounced Al"je; Musci is 
pronounced Mus"ci. 
The letters ch are hard like k; as in Orchis, pronounced Or'-kis. 
Accent and Quantity. 
The marks over the Generic and Specific names, in the Description of Genera ana 
Species, have reference not only to the syllable which is to be accented, but to tho 
quantity of the voioel in the accented syllable, as eitlier long or short. 
In those syllables after which the single mark is placed, the vowel is pronounced 
long, as in Fra-ga'-ria ; in those syllables after which the double mark is placed, 
the vowel is short, as in He-pat" i-ca ; in the latter case, the stress of voice is thrown 
upon the consonant ; the two marks may, therefore, be considered as indicating that 
the consonant as well as the vowel is accented. 
Words of two syllables always have the accent on the first ; if the syllable end 
xnth a vowel, it is long, as in Cro'-cus ; if it end with a consonant, it is shorty as in 
Cac"-tus. 
Figures, and other Characters. 
The figures at the right hand of the name of the Genus in the Description of 
Species, refer to the Class and Order of the Plant in the Artificial System ; the 
word following the figures, and included in a parenthesis, designates the natural 
order of the plant according to Jussieu. 
The following characters denote the duration of the plant : — 
% Annual — i Biennial — 21 Perennial — ^ Woody 
Color of Corollas. 
r. red, p. purple, g. green, b. blue, w. white, y. yellow. The union of any two or 
more of these characters denotes that the different colors are united. 
Ex stands for exotic. 
S. stands for south, referring to a region south of the IVIiddle States. 
Time of Flowering. 
Mar. March, Ap. April, M. May, J. June, Ju. July, An. August, S. September, Oa 
October, Nov. November. 
Localities. 
Can. Canada, N. E. New England, Car. Carolina, Height, i. and in. inches ; f. and 
ft. feet. 
