[§ 2.] NAMES, TERMS, AND CHARACTERS.
535. The name of a plant is the name of its genus followed by that of the species. The name of the genus answers to the surname (or family name); that of the species to the baptismal name of a person. Thus Quercus is the name of the Oak genus; Quercus alba, that of the White Oak, Q. rubra, that of Red Oak, Q. nigra, that of the Black-Jack, etc. Botanical names being Latin or Latinized, the adjective name of the species comes after that of the genus.
[536.] Names of Genera are of one word, a substantive. The older ones are mostly classical Latin, or Greek adopted into Latin; such as Quercus for the Oak genus, Fagus for the Beech, Corylus, the Hazel, and the like. But as more genera became known, botanists had new names to make or borrow. Many are named from some appearance or property of the flowers, leaves, or other parts of the plant. To take a few examples from the early pages of the "Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States,"—the genus Hepatica comes from the shape of the leaf, resembling that of the liver. Myosurus means mouse-tail. Delphinium is from delphin, a dolphin, and alludes to the shape of the flower, which was thought to resemble the classical figures of the dolphin. Xanthorrhiza is from two Greek words meaning yellow-root, the common name of the plant. Cimicifuga is formed of two Latin words meaning to drive away bugs, i. e. Bugbane, the Siberian species being used to keep away such vermin. Sanguinaria, the Bloodroot, is named from the blood-like color of its juice. Other genera are dedicated to distinguished botanists or promoters of science, and bear their names: such are Magnolia, which commemorates the early French botanist, Magnol; and Jeffersonia, named after President Jefferson, who sent the first exploring expedition over the Rocky Mountains. Others bear the name of the discoverer of the plant; as, Sarracenia, dedicated to Dr. Sarrazin, of Quebec, who was one of the first to send the common Pitcher-plant to the botanists of Europe; and Claytonia, first made known by the early Virginian botanist Clayton.
[537.] Names of Species. The name of a species is also a single word, appended to that of the genus. It is commonly an adjective, and therefore agrees with the generic name in case, gender, etc. Sometimes it relates to the country the species inhabits; as, Claytonia Virginica, first made known from Virginia; Sanguinaria Canadensis, from Canada, etc. More commonly it denotes some obvious or characteristic trait of the species; as, for example, in Sarracenia, our northern species is named purpurea, from the purple blossoms, while a more southern one is named flava, because its petals are yellow; the species of Jeffersonia is called diphylla, meaning two-leaved, because its leaf is divided into two leaflets. Some species are named after the discoverer, or in compliment to a botanist who has made them known; as, Magnolia Fraseri, named after the botanist Fraser, one of the first to find this species; and Sarracenia Drummondii, for a Pitcher-plant found by Mr. Drummond in Florida. Such personal specific names are of course written with a capital initial letter. Occasionally some old substantive name is used for the species; as Magnolia Umbrella, the Umbrella tree, and Ranunculus Flammula. These are also written with a capital initial, and need not accord with the generic name in gender. Geographical specific names, such as Canadensis, Caroliniana, Americana, in the later usage are by some written without a capital initial, but the older usage is better, or at least more accordant with English orthography.
[538.] Varietal Names, when any are required, are made on the plan of specific names, and follow these, with the prefix var. Ranunculus Flammula, var. reptans, the creeping variety: R. abortivus, var. micranthus, the small-flowered variety of the species.
539. In recording the name of a plant it is usual to append the name, or an abbreviation of the name, of the botanist who first published it; and in a flora or other systematic work, this reference to the source of the name is completed by a further citation of the name of the book, the volume and page where it was first published. So "Ranunculus acris, L.," means that this Buttercup was first so named and described by Linnæus; "R. multifidus, Pursh," that this species was so named and published by Pursh. The suffix is no part of the name, but is an abbreviated reference, to be added or omitted as convenience or definiteness may require. The authority for a generic name is similarly recorded. Thus, "Ranunculus, L.," means that the genus was so named by Linnæus; "Myosurus, Dill.," that the Mouse-tail was established as a genus under this name by Dillenius; Caulophyllum, Michx., that the Blue Cohosh was published under this name by Michaux. The full reference in the last-named instance would be, "in Flora Boreali-Americana, first volume, 205th page,"—in the customary abbreviation, "Michx. Fl. i. 205."
[540.] Names of Orders are given in the plural number, and are commonly formed by prolonging the name of a genus of the group taken as a representative of it. For example, the order of which the Buttercup or Crowfoot genus, Ranunculus, is the representative, takes from it the name of Ranunculaceæ; meaning Plantæ Ranunculaceæ when written out in full, that is, Ranunculaceous Plants. Some old descriptive names of orders are kept up, such as Cruciferæ for the order to which Cress and Mustard belong, from the cruciform appearance of their expanded corolla, and Umbelliferæ, from the flowers being in umbels.
[541.] Names of Tribes, also of suborders, subtribes, and the like, are plurals of the name of the typical genus, less prolonged, usually in eæ, ineæ, ideæ, etc. Thus the proper Buttercup tribe is Ranunculeæ, of the Clematis tribe, Clematideæ. While the Rose family is Rosaceæ, the special Rose tribe is Roseæ.
[542.] Names of Classes, etc. For these see the following synopsis of the actual classification adopted, p. [183].