FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 
5 
Thus, Eriodictyon (from Gr. eptov, wool -\-8lktvov , net) alludes to 
its wooly, netted veined leaves; Melaleuca (from Gr. p.e\as, black, 
+XeuKos, white) alludes' to the black bark of the trunk and white 
bark of the branches; Marrubium (from Hebrew marrob, bitter) 
refers to its bitter sap; Barosma (from Gr. fiapvs, heavy + o<rprj> 
odor) in allusion to its strong smell; Epiphegus (from Gr. ext, upon, 
-\-<f>rjy 6 s, the beech) alludes to its growth on the roots of that tree; 
Impatiens (from Lat. in, not and patiens , enduring) refers to the 
sudden bursting of the capsules of this genus when touched; Lyco¬ 
podium (from Gr. Xu/cos, a wolf, + robs, a foot) pertains to the 
appearance of the shoots of this genus. Many have been named in 
honor of eminent naturalists or friends of these, or other noted 
persons. For example, Collinsonia was named in honor of Peter 
Collinson, an English botanist of the 18th century; Dioscorea in honor 
of Dioscorides, the Greek naturalist \Paullini a after Paullini, a German 
botanist of the 17th century; Cinchona in honor of the countess of 
Chinchon, who brought the bark to Europe in 1640 and Jejfersonia, 
in honor of Thomas Jefferson. 
The specific names are for the most part adjectives which agree with 
the names of genera to which they belong in case, gender, etc. They 
may, however,’ be nouns and in a few instances consist of two nouns 
or a noun and an adjective. If an adjective it should begin with a 
small letter, as in Rhus glabra and Euonymus atropurpureus. When 
the specific name is a noun, it may either be a proper noun in the 
genitive case when it should begin with a capital, as Garcinia Han- 
buryi ; or it may be a common noun in the genitive, when it should 
begin with a small letter, as Grindelia camporum; or the noun may 
be in apposition to the generic name and so in the same case, as 
Cytisus scoparius. Names that had formerly been used for genera 
but since reduced to species are always capitalized, whether origi¬ 
nally proper nouns or not, as Aristolochia Serpentaria and Anacyclus 
Pyrethrum. In cases where two nouns make up the specific name, 
the first of these is in the nominative case, the second in the genetive, 
the two names being connected by a hyphen, as Capsella burs a-pastor is. 
The botanical name of the species yielding the drug, Aspidosperma, 
(Aspidosperma Quebracho-bianco) will serve as an example of the 
specific portion of the names being composed of a noun and an ad- 
