5! 
RUDBECKIA DRUMMONDII. 
(MR. DRUMMONd's RUDBECKIA.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 
SYNGENESIA. FRUSTRANEA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
COMPOSITE. 
Generic Charactf.r Flowers rayed, ligulate. Calyx in a double row, many-leaved, nearly equal, 
spreading. Seed with a broad border at the summit ; margin membranaceous, four-toothed. Re- 
ceptacle conical. 
Specific Character. — Plant perennial, herbaceous. Stems numerous, radical, roundish, slender. 
Leaves pinnate ; lobes linear-lanceolate, slightly jagged, acute. Calyx five-leaved ; segments 
oblong, obtuse, recurved, bright oiange, deeply stained with dark-brown at their base. 
In what may appropriately be termed the natural sciences, and especially in 
that of botany, so many new subjects are continually occurring, many of which 
exhibit such close affinity to other species, and are so utterly destitute of prominent 
distinctive characters, that, in order to establish their identification and recognition, 
it is found necessary to have recourse to commemorative names. This practice is 
not only employed as a dernier ressort, but, in many instances, is highly useful and 
laudable in perpetuating the memories of individuals who have in various ways 
aided in the advancement of science, and whose services would probably be other- 
wise unknown, or speedily pass into oblivion. 
There is, however, a clanger of encumbering and tarnishing botanical science 
by the too frequent use of such appellations ; and now that they are becoming so 
extremely common, a wise and judicious jealousy should be exercised by those 
with whom they originate, otherwise one grand design of such designations will 
obviously be frustrated, — the transmission to posterity of worthy names ; these 
being altogether lost sight of among the ignoble and indiscriminate crowd. It 
is well and desirable that those persons who are immediately instrumental in 
the introduction of new plants to this country, should have their names thus 
immortalised ; and equally so that yet humbler contributors to the furtherance 
of the interests of science generally, should be similarly noticed. But there is 
a class of individuals who are the prime movers of such importations, — furnishing 
at once the means for effecting them, and for cultivating the plants so imported, — 
