NAMES OF PLANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22006, 12 January 1935, Page 8 (Supplement)

NAMES OF PLANTS

INTERNATIONAL RULES The better known plants of any country have at least two names each, one of which is the common or vernacular name and the other the scientific, botanical or Latin name. The common name of a plant is the one by which the plant has been known by people who from generation to generation have seen it growing wild or have cultivated it in their own gardens. In these days plants are not named in the haphazard way that was customary in olden times. Many rules exist, known as the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature, and the naming of plants must be within these rules. These rules have been carefully constructed at various international congresses, the first of which was held in Paris in 1867 and the fifth in Cambridge in 1930. As a result of the last congress" there are about 70 articles or rules and a fair number of recommendations. It is impossible in this short article to mention all these rules, bub perhaps the most far reaching is the Rule of Priority.

If we turn to the " Index Kewensis," which is a monumental work containing the name, place of publication and country of origin of all known flowering plants from 1753 down to our own time, we shall see that for many species there is more than one name. According to the Rule of Priority the earliest name since 1753 which is published according to the rules is retained or " kept up, 1 ' and the other names "fall" or become " synonyms." It is often urged that common plant names be used in preference to botanical ones, but most of them are useless for identification purposes. Some plants have more than one common name and in some cases, e.g., the ordinary geranium, the botanical name of one plant has been used as the common name of another.

Tho derivation of plant names is a fascinating study and useful hints on cultivation are sometimes given by the names themselves; thus, obviously, gypsophila is a lime or chalk-loving plant and arenaria might be expected to thrive on sandy, well-drained soil; but the study of nomenclature is beset with traps for the unwary. In a well-known etymological dictionary of plant names aceranthus was solemnly said to be derived from acer and anthos because its flowers were like those of the maple. Actually the name was derived from the Greek a (not) ceras (horn or spur) and anthos (flower), because the flower differs from epimedium (barren wort) in not being spurred. This unintentional joke was carried still further in a recent American list where the English name maplewort was actually coined for the unfortunate plant. Neither the plant itself nor the flowers are in the least like the maple. There is, unfortunately, no good, comprehensive work on the subject of the derivation of plant names, and a work of this description would be of inestimable value to the. botanist and gardener. CARE OF THE HOSE PROLONGING USEFULNESS During the summer months a rubber hose for watering purposes must be regarded as essential to the equipment of a fair-sized garden. Water applied through a hose is not as beneficial to plants as rain or soft water, and should nob bo given excessively or when unnecessary. Unless, however, the soil is kept moist, tho growth of the plants will he retarded and blossoming will be poor. The best time to water th« garden is in the evening, and it is better to give a good soaking once a week than to givo a sprinkle every dav. If plants in bloom are sprayed durinc bright sunshine they will soon lose their freshness and beauty. It is wise to purchase a sound and reliable garden hose. It will prove more economical in the end than an inferior one, which, after a few weeks use, will probably become leaky and cause endless trouble. When not in use, the hose should be kept on a roel, which can easily be made by anyone handy with

REPAIRING HOSE (a) Hose, (b) Tubing, (c) Lashing. tools. When the hose is required for use it may be payed out from tho reel. If dragged over paths or coiled up carelessly, it will very soon wear ,tain in places. If a leak develops in tho hose, a quick repair can be mado by cutting the hose on each side of the leak. A Siece of tubing which fits the inside iameter is placed in tho hose to join tho ends together, and is secured either by clips or oy being bound tightly with copper wire Useful clips may be purchased which do not need an interior piece of tubing. All that is required' is to clinch the teeth with which thoy are provided with a hammer, a neat repair being made, which will not leak if the joint is mado properly. FERTILISER INSECTICIDE Strong solutions of hitrato of soda are regarded by soma authorities as good insecticides. According to Weiss, nitrate of soda is injurious to nematode wprms, which seem to become worse in more or less acid soils, consequently nitrate of soda is recommended as the nitrogenous fertiliser in soils which are thus infected. Tho uso of lime is also recommended for soil infested with these pests. It is also claimed by some experimenters that nitrate of soda is injurious to the larvae of various beetles.