114 
CONFUSION CAN AND MUST BE ENDED. 
particular species under sale or use— Euc. paniculataj, Euc. crebra , Euc. 
siderophloia, or Euc. sideroocylon, as the case may be. Stringybark and all other 
group names must be similarly limited by specific botanical names. Either by law 
or by trade honour, shippers should be compelled to declare the botanical names 
of all timbers shipped; and importers should take pains to see that they get what 
is on the manifest. 
Two Australian hardwoods may be closely similar in appearance, but widely 
different in value and durability. Placed in the ground, one may perish in seven 
years while the other will easily last three or four times seven years. In the absence 
of certified botanical names, the bad species discredits the good, and the whole 
trade suffers. Where the natural specific distinctions are unknown or are ignored, 
no stamps or brands on the baulks or logs can more than vaguely guarantee quality. 
Ihe problem is difficult, but Australia has many able botanists and foresters to 
solve it. If the Forest Services of all the States would resolutely combine to cut 
out the common names, timber getters, builders, engineers, shippers, and importers 
would all soon fall into line. 
The tacking of common names to the botanical names in catalogues of seeds, 
plants, and timbers appears to assume that the vernaculars will be known where 
the scientific names are not known, and that the one set of names will serve to 
interpret the other. If both sets were on an equal footing of reliability, the 
assumption might stand; but, as we have seen, the scientific names are alone 
trustworthy. The Eucalyptus common names as applied to individual species have 
IP ^ f # It is an interesting and curious place. Taken 
over the whole range of the States, the theme might be even worthy of a historical 
monograph. But in this age of careful research and explicit definition names 
hastily bestowed upon particular trees by settlers and bushmen are out of date and 
unfitting. Only as group names are the vernaculars safe and valid. Used as 
specific names they at once throw us into uncertainty, waste our time, and imperil 
our cash. 1 
BOTANICAL NAMES. 
The great genus Eucalyptus with its 400 species needs a nomenclature that will 
be the same in all countries and in all trades. Botanists have provided such a 
nomenclature. Their method has been simple and uniform. The resultant specific 
names are such as a child may easily learn and remember. In a country where 
everybody goes to school there can be no excuse for not learning them. 
Botanical names are either pure Latin words or Latinized words from 
Lreek or from some modern language. A good many of them are Latinized 
personal names or place names. Grammatically, the name of a genus mav be 
masculine, feminine, or neuter. The specific names are usually adjectives made 
to agree with the name of the genus; but sometimes they are nouns in the genitive 
case singular The generic word Eucalyptus, which has already been explained, is 
treated as a feminine noun of the Latin second declension. Most of the specific 
names are adjectives made to agree with it, the principal endings being -a, -ana 
irvn; 18 ’ : e i nS1S ;^ nd th f W0 / ds calyx ( seed - cu P)> carpa (fruit), corys (helmet’, 
lid of bud), oides (Gk. eidos, form or likeness), phloia (bark), xylon (wood). 
