Having thus, after a protracted and patient examination,
arrived at what I consider the rights of the
case, I caii no longer hesitate in adopting the Lin-
nean name of his “ oere ~gloriosus flo s ” as the only
one, adjective though it be, having the slightest claim
to be retained on the records of Botany.
Having the subject of names and naming of plants
in hand, I think I may as well go a step further and
advert, but very briefly, to the unhappy state of the
Indian Flora in having its nomenclature so overwhelmed
with undefined names. Turn where we will we are
sure to meet with them. This great evil I have
endeavoured in the course of this work to lessen by
never in a single instance, knowingly, superseding
an undefined name so long as I had the means of
ascertaining correctly the plant to which it belonged.
In all such cases I have felt anxious to fix by definition
these floating names, for until defined they are
no better.
Having been thus careful to avoid any departure
from the courtesies of the science, I trust that those
who use this book may always bear in mind that
“ two things are necessary before a Botanical name
can acquire authority, viz., definition and publication,”
and not incautiously add to the existing almost
insurmountable difficulties of unravelling our exceedingly
perplexed synonyme by substituting, on the
ground of priority, undefined names for defined ones.
This I ask not for my own sake, but for that of my
successors who become the sufferers.
This request applies alike to all undefined names
wherever they occur, whether in Wallich’s list or
Wight’s Catalogue; in Boyle’s or Wight’s Illustrations,
and Spicilegium, books which unavoidably abound
in names, many of them undefined. Also to the lists
now publishing in Germany, edited by Hohenaeker
which, I have reason to think, give new names to
several plants, previously published in this work, and
doubtless to many of those published in this and the
preceding volume: in a word to all undefined names.
In a work of this magnitude, and produced under
circumstances so unfavourable to accuracy, by my
being cut off from all intercourse with Botanists
or books and named plants beyond what my own
rather limited library and herbarium provided; many
errors must unavoidably have crept i n : for such I
ask no mercy, but I do, and ever shall, protest against
my definitions being transferred to the undefined
names of others because their names happened to exist
in a catalogue or printed book before my defined
ones were published.
The naturalist prizes the honor of naming the subjects
he has studied and is about to add to the Catalogues
of Natural History—it is usually his only reward
for his pains-taking labour—-and, as the laborer
is worthy of his hire, that credit ought not on any account,
to be wrested from him, and still less when to
be conferred, perhaps, on a person utterly incompetent
either to examine or define, or what is about as
bad, on one too idle or indifferent to do so for himself.
One other subject remains to be very briefly adverted
to. Universal practice, among the British
residents of India, has fixed the orthography of the
name of the neighbouring range of mountains which
is now always written Neilgherry. In conformity
with this spelling I, in latinizing the word for the
formation of specific names of plants, have merely
altered the termination, writing it Neilgherrensis.
The writers, however, of the German catalogues,
above alluded to, apparently thinking themselves
better acquainted than we are, with the pronunciation
and orthography of English words, take upon
themselves to correct us, and therefore write the
word Nilagiry and Nilagiricus, and have even, in at
least one instance, altered our orthography to make
it suit their conceptions of what is right. Against
this presumptuous liberty, I here enter my most unqualified
protest. We make no attempts to soften
or amend the orthography of their, to us, harsh and
often almost unpronounceable language, and neither
ought they to venture on the task of attempting to
adapt our softer and more flexible tongue to their
pronounciation. Nor ought we to tolerate such interference.
-
. 2047. Gloriosa sdperba (Linn., Metlionica, Ju ssieu,
Endlicher, Meisner, Kunth), leaves cerriferous,
the inferior ones oblong, the upper ones ovate lanceolate
: sepals lanceolate, waved their whole length.
Coimbatore, Eastern slopes Neilgherries, Courtal-
lum, &c., &c. Flowering during the autumnal months.
I have taken the liberty of removing this genus
from Liliacese, in which it is usually placed, to Uvula-
riece and Melantkacece, should these orders be again
united. My attention was first called to the subject
by _ Dr. Stocks of Bombay who had previously
arrived at the same conclusion. After looking into
the matter, comparing living specimens with the
characters of the orders, I felt, and still feel, at a
loss, how to account for this genus having been so
long permitted to retain its place among the Lilies,
especially after the removal of Uvularia, a genus so.
closely allied that nearly the same words characterize
both, with the exception of the revolute perianth.
2048. Disporcm L eschenaumtanum (Donn.),
umbels sessile, 3-5-flowered.: sepals ovato-lanceolate,
acute, gibbous at the base, filaments about twice the
length of the anthers, dilated at the b a se : style 3-4
times the length of the stigmas: leaves ovate, short
petioled, acuminate.
Neilgherries, frequent, especially about the outskirts
of woods, flowering during the rainy season, July and
August.
In the accompanying plate I have represented two
forms, one with drooping the other with erect flowers.
I t did not occur to me, when the drawings were
made, to study carefully these forms with the growing
plants before me, and now I am unable with
certainty to say whether I have combined 2 species
or 2 varieties. Judging from dried specimens, they
are varieties only, but possibly in that I may be mistaken.
However, here are both forms, and will I
hope induce future explorers to undertake the solution
of the question.
2049. Disporum mysorense (R. W.), umbels
3-4-flowered, terminal: sepals ovate, cuspidato-acu-
minate, not gibbous at the b a se : filaments curved, not
dilated at the base, shorter than the sagittate incurved
cuspidate anthers: style filiform, much longer
than the short, almost inconspicuous, stigmas: leaves
sub-sessile, broad, ovate, acuminate.
Babenbodin Hills, Mysore, Cleghorn. I only know
this plant from dried specimens, for which I am indebted
to the kindness of Dr. Cleghorn.
1