POTENTIL'LA ATROSANGUPNEA-PEDA'TA. 
HYBRID POTENTILLA. 
Class. 
ICOSANDRIA. 
Order. 
POLYGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
ROSACEA. 
Hybrid 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Raised 
origin. 
18 inches. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1831. 
No. 385. 
The name, Potentilla, is deduced from the Latin 
word potentia, and signifies little power; a term 
used in allusion to the medicinal strength of the 
plant for which it was originally intended. 
On the introduction of the doubly compound ap- 
pellation Atrosanguinea-pedata, we may be expect- 
ed to offer some remark. Authors have not agreed 
on the most convenient mode of naming hybrid or 
mule plants. Some have thought names may be 
completely arbitrary; some name them after the 
person with whom they originated; whilst others 
would altogether excommunicate such productions 
from botanical nomenclature. Notwithstanding the 
opposite theoretical position taken by some bota- 
nists, we believe, doubtlessly, that hybrid plants 
sometimes become established, and hold a perma- 
nent place in the vegetable kingdom; it is there- 
fore but reasonable to notice them, and it is far 
better that their origin be registered whilst it is 
known, in lieu of remaining to become the subject 
of future conjecture and error. We have taken the 
trivial names of the two parent species of this hybrid 
plant, as a compound name for it; and although 
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