BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA VoL 21, Nos. 1-4 : pp. 35-67, 1979 COMMEMORATIVE GENERIC NAMES OF FLOWERING PLANTS IN INDIA Botanical Surq of India, Howrah ABSTRACT Commemorative generic names of plants are given in honour of well known botanists and patrons of science for the contributions they made for the cause of botany. The names are given in alphabetical order with their families and one example under each gcnw. A brief biographical sketch of the person is also given. Plants named after botanists and eminent persons form one continuous historical sequence in the development of Natural history. INTRODUCTION In 1867 Alphonse de Candolle, son of A. P. Naming of plants and animals using two- De Candolle with his legal background first word names is as old as human civilization proposed the rules of nomenclature in "Lois and is commonly seen in all languages. In de la Nomenclature Botanique" (1867). In I 753 Carl ~innaeusin his Species Plantarum the Vienna botanical congress (Igo j), these consistently used the two-word system in rules were officially designated as "Interna- Latin for about 5900 Linnean specific epi- tional Rules of Botanical Nomenclature" and thets which was hailed as the binomial since 1952 it is called as "International Code system of nomenclature. In the 18th of Botanical Nomenclature" Plant names century in Europe, Latin was the accepted named after botanists and eminent persous language of scholarship and common form one continuous historical sequence in medium of communication cutting across the development of Natural history. Gen- national boundaries. According to the eric names are given in alphabetical order rules of naming mostly botanical generic and under the first genus Abelia R. Br. it names should be of Latin form and end in is mentioned as follows: "Named in honour -a, -urn, or -us, and the name of a genus is of Dr. Clarke Abel". To avoid repetitions a substantive in a singular number. It is only names of persons honoured is given also recommended to give a feminine form and! the words "Named in honour of" is not to all personal generic names, whether they repeated. commemorate man or woman. Thougll formal system of botanical nomenclature Abelia R Br. (Caprifoliaceae) took shape only in 1867, about I 14 years Named in honour of Dr. Clarke Abel after the publication of Linnaeus's Species (1780-1826) who assisted Lord Amherst on Plantarum (17~~),it was a subject of dis- his mission to Peking (1816-181 7) at the sug- cussions and arguments ainong botanisrs gestion of Sir Joseph Banks. Abel died in during the later part of 18th century. Au8- India and he published "A Narrative of a ustin Pyramus de Candolle (I 7 78- '$41) Set Journey into China" e.g.: Abelirr triflora forth his ideas on nomenclature in "Theorie R. Br, an ornamental shrub. elementaire de la Botanique" (a18 13) Aegle Correa ex Koen. (Rutaceae) "Aegle" one of the naiads, who presided --- I Date of receipt : 16.5.78. Date of acceptance : 20.5978 over ivers and springs in Greek mythology. 36 BULLETIN OF THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA [VO~.21 In India the leaves of Aegle marmelos his friend Arfeuille. e.g.: Arjeuillea arbo- (Linn.) Correa, "the bael tree" is sacred to rescens Pierre, tree cultivated in gardens. God Siva. Artemisia Linn. (Compositae) Afzelia Smith (Caesalpiniaceae) Artemis, daughter of Jupiter and Latona, Dr. Adam Afzelius (1750-1837)~a student (sister of Apollo) of Greek mythology ; Arte- of Linnaeus, a Sweedish botanist, resident ,mis is also virgin goddess of Moon and of at the Colony of Sierre Leone in the service hunting, supposed to kill without pain in of an African Company. allusion to the soothing, but harmful pro- Ad& Lour. (Meliaceae) perties of the plant. The species of this Named after one of the "three Graces", genus, indicating the Greek Gsddess of a mythoIogica1 name in allusion to the Chastity yield stimulants and vermifuges. beauty w,d sweet sceqt of :its flawers. e.g.: e.g. : Artemisia tzilagirica (Clarke) Pamp. Aglak iirx b'urghinna MIq. from :peninsular occurring in temperate regions of India. India. Asclerpias Linn. (Asclepiadaceae) Alhvsda - Ljnn. (Draseraceae) Asclepias, the God of medicine in Greek Ulysses Aldrovandus, an Italian botanist. mythology. Asclepias was worshipped e.g. : Aldrovanda vesiczr losn Linn . an aqua- along with .Hygeia, "Goddess of wise-living" tic herb' reported from Salt-lakes of Calcutta, in ancient dreece. Some species of Asclepi- a fast disappearing species because of as were used medicinally. e.g. : Asclefias habitat disturbances. curasavica Linn., a small undershrub, cul- AUardia Decne (Compositae) tivated as an ornamental plant. General Allard, who was responsible in Atalantia Correa (Rutaceae) arranging Jacquemont's tour in Kashmir Named in honour of Atalanta of Greek during early 19th century. The genus is mythology. Atalanta is the daughter of reduced to Waldheimia. Schoenus, King of Boeotia in Greece. Ata- AUionielh Ry db. (Nyctaginaceae) lanta was famous for her running and she Car10 Allioni (I 705-1801), an Italian bota- refused to marry anyone who could not nist, Professor at Turin, author of Flora catch her. Hippomenes succeeded by throw- Pedemantana. The genus is reduced tn ing golden apples in her path .and she lost Ivlira bilk. the race as she stopped to gather the golden Anaxagorea St. Hill. (Annonaceae) apples. The fruit of the plant is of golden Anaxagores (500-428 BC), a Greek philo- yellow colour in allusion to the golden sopher. e.g. : Anaxagorea luxonensis A. apples. e.g. : Atalantia racemosa Wt. & Am., Gray, a shrub occurring in Andamans. a large shrub from peninsular India having Anemone Linn. (Ranunculaceae) pleasant smelling flowers. In Greek mythology Anemone was the Atropa Linn. (Sdanaceae) name given to the daughter of the winds. "Atropos" is one of three Fates of Greek e.g.: Anemone rivularis Buch.-Ham. ex DC. mythology, who cut the thread of human ' occurring in temperate regions. life, as this is a genus of poiso~ousherb. Apllonias Nees (Lauraceae). e.g.: Atropa belladona Linn., native of Eu- Apollo or Phoebus of Greek mythology, rope, cultivated in Kashmir. the Sun God in allusion to the beautiful Attalea Kunth. (Palmae) plants. e.g. : Apollonias arnottii Nees, King Attalus of Pergarnus who discover- tree occurring in evergreen forests of W. ed the art of weaving gold and who made Ghats. Rome his heir, in allusion to the beauty of AffeuilIea Pierre (Sapindaceae) the trees. e.g.: Attaka speciosa- Mm, Named bv French botanist Pierre after native of Brazil, cultivated in gardens, 19791 NAYAR: COMMEMORATIVE GENERIC NAMES OF FLOWERING PLANTS IN INDIA 37 Bwbarea P. Br. (Cruciferae) Bdggsia Craib (Gesneriaceae) St. Barbara of the 4th century, patron Munro Briggs Scott (18891gr 71, botanist saint of artillerymen and miners. e.g.: at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. e.g.: Barbarea vulgaris R. Br., a small herb, Briggsia kurzii (Clarke) W. E. Evans, a "Herb of Santa Barbara" growing in rem- herb occurring in E. Himalayas. perate Himalayas. Beccarinda Kuntze (Gesneriaceae) Calpur~ia E. Mey (Papilionaceae) Odoardo Beccari (I 843-1gzo), Italian Titus Julius Calpurnius of 1st century, at1 botanist, Director of the Botanic Gardell imitator of Virgil in allusion to the close and Herbarium, Florence who worked on resemblance to Virgilia. e.g.: CalFrnia the palms of India and Malesian islands. indica (Brummitt) Yakovl., occurring in peninsular India. Benthamiilia (Cornaceae) Car!emannia Ben th. (Carlemanniaceae) George Bentham, F.R.S. (I 800-1 884) who Dr. Carl Leman, a friend of George alongwith Joseph Dalton Hooker, published Bentham, an aGent promotor of botany in monumental work "Genera Plantarum" the 19th century. e.g.: Carlemannia (1862-1883) .his magnum opus. His other grif- important publications are "Flora Austra- fithii E.enth., a herb with yelIow flowers liensis" and "Handbook of the British from E. Himalayas. Flora". e.g.: Benthamidia capitata (Wall.) Cr~rya Nutt. (Juglandaceae) Hara, a small sized tree occurring in Hima- In Greek mythology, Carya, daughter of layas. Dion, King of Laconia was converted into Bartsia Iinn. (Scrophulariaceae) a walnut tree by Bacchus, Diana had the surname of caryata from the town of John Bartsch M.D., a friend of C. Lin- The genus is reduced to Odontites Carya in Laconia where her rituals were naeus. celebrated in the open under the shade of Ludw. walnut trees. e.g. : Carya illinoensis (Wang) Bhides Stapf ex Bor (Gramineae) Koch, native of America, grown in gardens. R. K. Bhide who worked for the Cooke's Castellia Tineo (Gramineae) Flora of Eombay Presidency. e.g.: Bhidea Dr. Domingo Castillejo, botanist of Mad- bzcrsiarna Bor an annual grass occurring in rid during 18th century. e.g.: Castellia Bombay. tuberculoso (Moris) Bor, a grass growing in Bie-a King & Pantl. (Orchidaceae) Punjab plains. Mr. Adclf B.iermann who in tkte later Centam3 Ljnn. (Compositae) part of the 20th century associated with tke In Greek mythology, Centaur Chiron Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. e.g. : cured the wound made in his foot by tFe Biermannia bimaculata King & Pantl., an arrow of Hercules. e.g.: Centaurea cyanus orchid with white flowers from Sikkim Linn., the Corn-flower occurring in N. W. TlimalavasJ . India. Boucs Meissn, (Anacardiaceae) Cerbera Linn. (Apocynaceae) A. Boue (1794-1881).a German botanist. In allusion to' the dog ~erberus,the three e.g.: Bouen o~sitifolia(Roxb.) Meiasn. headed dog of Greek mythology, at the from Sunderbans & Anda~nans. gates of Tartarus, whose bite was poisonous Brewerin R. Br. (Convolvulaceae) and fatal. The genus consists of plants with S. Brewer (16701 743). garany to the Duke poisonous fruits. e.g. : Cerbera manghas of Beaufort at Badminton. The genus i? Linn., a tree in tidal forests of India with reduced to Seddera Hochst.