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The Magnolia commemorates the Magnols; the Sarracenia, Sarrasin of Lyons; the Bauhinia, Jean Bauhin; the Fuchsia, Bauhin's earlier German master, Leonard Fuchs; and the Clusia the received name of that terrible "Matapalo" or "Scotch attorney," of the West Indies, which kills the hugest tree, to become as huge a tree itself immortalises the great Clusius, Charles de l'Escluse, citizen of Arras, who, after studying civil law at Louvain, philosophy at Marburg, and theology at Wittemberg under Melancthon, came to Montpellier in 1551, to live in Rondelet's own house, and become the greatest botanist of his age.
Red cherry, described by Bauhin in 1620. Yellow cherry, described by Bauhin in 1620. Ochre yellow, described by Bauhin in 1651. Striped, blotched or visi-colored, described by Bauhin in 1651. Pale red, described by Tournefort in 1700. Large smooth, or ribless red, described by Tournefort in 1700. Bronzed-leaved, described by Blacknell in 1750. Deep orange, described by Bryant in 1783.
From the rattling of its seed in the pod it obtains its name, which signifies porcupine-bells, alluding to the small bells worn about the ankles of children. The leaves alone attract notice, being double, as if united by a hinge, and this peculiarity suggested the Linnean name, which was given in compliment to two brothers of the name of Bauhin, celebrated botanists, who always worked conjointly.
From this historic evidence, the period during which the beets were cultivated from the time of the Romans or perhaps much later, up to the time of Bauhin and De Serres, would seem far too short for the production by the unguided selection of man of all the now existing types.
There are various synonyms for P. pinea, the chief being P. sativa of Bauhin, P. aracanensis of Knight, P. domestica, P. chinensis of Knight, and P. tarentina of Manetti. The Garden.
But in the sixteenth century most of our present varieties of beets were already in cultivation. Caspar Bauhin gives a list of the beets of his time and it is not difficult to recognize in it a large series of subspecies and varieties and even of special forms, which are still cultivated.
He was anxious to know whether it was a new plant and sent specimens to Clusius and to Plater, the last of whom transmitted them to Caspar Bauhin. These botanists recognized the type as quite new and Bauhin described it some years afterwards in his Phytopinax under the name of Chelidonium majus foliis quernis, or oak-leaved celandine.
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