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Plant Names Scientific and Popular

INCLUDING IN THE CASE OF EACH PLANT
CORRECT BOTANICAL NAME IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REFORMED NOMENCLATURE, TOGETHER WITH BOTANICAL AND POPULAR SYNONYMS

Plant Names Scientific and Popular – Every plant is supposed to have a ”correct” botanical name, and -can have only one such. As a matter of fact, there are few plants that have not been over and over rechristened by scientific botanists, each one maintaining that his is its only really ‘ ‘correct’ ‘ designation. Out of the endless confusion there is at last emerging order and uniformity.

At the Botanical Congress held at Paris in 1867 the principle
-was definitely adopted that the scientific designation of a plant should be in every case the name first applied to it (with suitable definition and description 1. provided that name had not been precariously applied to another plant.

This rule has necessitated many changes in the current nomenclature. The names adopted in this book have been brought as far as possible into accordance with the reformed nomenclature.

In the case of our indigenous plants, the names given by Britton and Brown in their recently published “Flora of the Northern States and Canada, have been adopted with very few exceptions as conforming to the new rules.

The attempt has been made to adhere to the principle also in the case of exotic plants, but it has not been always possible to consult original authorities.

In a number of instances where the new rule requires changes in name which have undoubtedly been already made by botanists, but for which authority could not be found, my own name appears as authority, indicating that the responsibility is mine.

It has been my endeavor to make the list of popular synonyms 1 as complete and at the same time as authentic as possible. It has not been difficult to gather popular names of the plants of Europe, particularly of Great Britain. In our own country popular names are used in a very haphazard manner, and there has never been any attempt to gather all the names adopted in different localities. From the most reliable sources of information at ray command I have gleaned a large number of the current popular names.

Book names, such as those adopted by botanists for the various species of a genus, hardly come within the scope of this work, although some such are given. Where there are several plants belonging to one genus, there is likely to be a good deal of interchanging of popular names.

In general, however, each name is considered to belong properly to some one species and should be restricted thereto, and in a book of synonyms like this, names must be given as though this were the actual practice.

Although aside from the main purpose of this work, I have
indicated the origin and meaning of many popular names, and I have also given as far as possible, the etymologies of the Latin generic names.

The principle of double credit for authority of botanical names has been applied whenever practicable. It has not been possible always to ascertain which was the earlier of two specific names. In such cases only the single credit is given.

Synonyms under the various genera are in the true sense synonyms only when followed by authority. Synonyms “in part” are generic names that, for reasons good or bad, have been applied by botanists to some of the plants of the genus in question.

botanists to some of the plants of the genus in question. In the English names, the orthography of the Century Dictionary has been given the preference, alternative forms being, however, also recognized, those now obsolete often in parentheses.

I have endeavored to include in this enumeration: 1st. All the more important plants used medicinally in our country, including many which are practically obsolete yet may be sometimes asked for in drug stores.

2nd. Plants of economic value, especially those furnishing important food stuffs. Pasture grasses, however, and many forage plants, as well as the multitude of plants cultivated in gardens and greenhouses for ornament, I have been compelled by limit of space to omit.

3rd. Plants indigenous to any part of the United States. The name of every genus of flowering plants known to occur in North America, north of Mexico is given, with a brief description and statement of its geographical distribution.

Only genera of grasses and of sedges are excepted, this omission giving room to include those of ferns and Lycopods.

In each case a statement is made of the number of species found ‘ ‘in U. S.” which must be understood to include also those of British America, the number being generally that of the species included in the catalogue recently (1898) published by A. A. Heller, of North American plants North of Mexico.

The book should thus be of interest and value to everyone in- terested in American botany. It is, however, more especially in- tended to meet the practical needs of the retail druggist^ who is of- ten called upon to supply some root, bark or herb of which only an unfamiliar popular name is known to the customer.

For the benefit of the druggist also the pharmacopeial names are given of all drugs official in the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France, and also the unofficial Latin as well as the vernacular German, French and Spanish names of the several drugs or plants. Medicinal properties are also succinctly stated.

The greatest care has been taken to render the book accurate in its scientific information and complete and authentic in synonymy. A copious index serves as a key to this mass of information, enabling the reader to turn instantly to the desired paragraph.

1. ABAMA, Adans. 1763. Bog Asphodel. – Melanthaceae. The ancient Greek name. Syn. Narthecium, Juss, 1789. Small perennial herbs. Four known species, northern Hemisphere; 2 in U. S.

a. A. Americana (Ker) Morong ( Narthecium Americana Ker, N.ossifragum var. Americanum Gray). Southern New Jersey. American Bog Asphodel, Bastard or Lancashire Asphodel, Moor-grass, Eosa-Solis*.

2. ABIES, Juss. – – Fir. – – ‘ Pinaceae. The ancient Greek name. Syn. Pinus, Picea, in part. Evergreen trees, mountains and high latitudes of north temperate zone. About 20 species; 12 in U.S.

a. A. Abies (L. ) Kusby (Pinns Abies L., P. excelsa Lara., P. Picea Du Roi, Picea excelsa Link). Northern Europe and Asia, also in Alps. Norway Spruce, Spruce Fir, Galipot tree; Ger. Fichte; Fr. Pesse, Epic^a, Faux Sapiu (Codex). The remous exudate is known as frankincense; from this is prepared Bur- gundy Pitch; Fix Burundian U. S. P., Br., Resina pini Burgundians. Pix alba; Ger. Burgunder Harz, Burgunder Pech;
Fr. Poix de Bourgogne, Poux des Vosges, Poux jaune (Codex).
Stimulant, vulnerary, revulsive, etc. Leaf buds and shoots used in making spruce beer.

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Warmest Regards,

Coyalita Linville

Plant Names Scientific and Popular