278 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
PLANT NOMENCLATURE. 
Plant nomenclature may give gardeners and 
nurserymen a cause for confusion. In their be- 
wilderment it is not entirely unreasonable that 
botanists should be made the mark to whom to di- 
rect their complaints. Halesia instances a case. 
That genus has had a peculiarly interesting re- 
cent history. Of that very large family Styraca- 
cese only three genera are hardy in the Northern 
United States, — Halesia, Styrax and Pterostyrax. 
The latter is indigenous to China and Japan and 
the first two are native in the United States. The 
genus Halesia is composed of three species of shrubs 
or small trees that are native to the south eastern 
United States. It was found by Mark Catesby 
during his American tour and in his “Natural 
History of Carolina” (i 73 i ) there appears a col- 
ored figure of this plant which was there named 
Halesia tetraptera. In 1760 John Ellis collected 
seed of this species and another — the latter he dis- 
covered in 1761 under the specific name of diptera. 
It happens, however, that about two years before 
Catesby named and procured the species called by 
him tetraptera, Linnaeus had given the same plant 
the name of carolinum. According to the rules of 
nomenclature the old and well known name of te- 
traptera must therefore give way in favor of the still 
older though comparatively unknown name of car- 
olinum. But the generic name is also involved. 
Several years before Linnaeus gave to the plant 
in question the generic name, Halesia, P. Browne 
described a tree native to Jamaica and named it 
Halesia. This genus was found to be the same 
as that described two years prior (1753) by 
Linnaeus as Guettarda, a plant native of Java. 
Therefore Browne’s name was made a synonym of 
Linnaeus. In the rulings by the American scien- 
tists the same generic name cannot be used twice. 
Therefore since we have Halesia recorded as a 
synonym it cannot be used for another and the 
plant popularly known today as Halesia had to be 
altered. This error was noted by Dr. N. L. Brit- 
ton, then of Columbia University, who proposed 
renaming it in honor of Dr. Chas. Mohr, the bot- 
anist of the Geological survey of Alabama. He 
overlooked the fact that Mohria was the name of a 
low fern, cultivated in greenhouses. Apprised 
of his error, two weeks later he altered (see Gar- 
den and Forest, 6, 463, 1893) it to Mohrodendron. 
In the meantime Prof. E. L. Green (of the Univ. of 
California) found the discrepancy of the name 
Halesia and proposed the name of Carlomohria, but 
this name was not published until after Dr. Britton 
corrected his name Mohria and as a result the latter’s 
name stands. The singular part is that of a plant 
having three new names within a fortnight. — E. M. 
NEWNHAM PARK, ENGLAND. 
Through the kindness of a friend who recently 
visited Newnham Park, Oxford, England, I am 
indebted for a few notes concerning the grounds, 
and also for a copy of some lines to the memory of 
Walter Clark, which appear below. Newnham 
Park has been known for years as the home of the 
Harcourts, a family, many members of which have 
been prominent figures in England for years. The 
park itself is famed for its natural beauty, and, 
indeed, to many gardeners of England the “glades 
of Newnham” has a familiar sound. 
The Thames, also the Cherwell river, is in close 
proximity to it; while the rare old elms it contains 
£3 well as those of Oxford itself, are worth a long 
journey to see. 
Near a grotto, the sides of which', as well as 
those of the path leading to it, were overgrown 
with mosses and lovely ferns, my friend suddenly 
found himself face to face with a stone, “To the 
memory of Walter Clark.” The lines on it he had 
copied and sent to me and it is with much pleas- 
ure I send them for the pleasure of the readers of 
Park and Cemetery. It is to be presumed Wal- 
ter Clark was at one time gardener at the park, 
though of this I am not informed. 
“To the memory of Walter Clark, florist, who 
died suddenly here where the following inscription 
on a stone is placed in the grotto in Newnham 
Park Gardens, by Mr. Whitehead. ’’ 
On him whose very soul was here, 
Whose duteous, careful, constant toil 
Has varied with the varying years, 
To make this gay profusion smile. 
Whose harmless life in silent flow, 
Within these circling shades has passed. 
What happier death could heaven bestow, 
Than in these shades to breathe hi, last. 
’Twas here he fell; nor far removed 
Has earth received him in her breast, 
Still fast beneath the scenes he lov’d 
In holy ground his reliques rest. 
Each clambering woodbine, flaunting rose. 
Which ’round yon bower he taught to wave. 
With every fragrant briar that blows, 
Shall lend a wreath to bind his grave. 
Each village matron, village maid, 
Shall with chaste fingers, chaplets tie, 
Due honors to the rural dead, 
And emblems of mortality. 
Each village swain that passes by 
A sigh shall to his memory give, 
For sure his death demands a sigh, 
Whose life instructs them how to live. 
If spirits walk as fabling age 
Relates to childhood’s wond'ring ear, 
Full oft does fancy dare presage. 
Shall Walter’s faithful shade be here; 
Athwart j ou glade at night’s pale noon 
Full oft shall glide with busy feet, 
Acd by the glimmerings of the moon 
Revisit each beloved retreat. 
— Joseph Meehan. 
