Plant Taxonomy

How Plants are Named!

Introduction

• Most plants have more than one common name, some have several

• Boston Fern and Sword Fern• Two different plants may have the same name

but may exist in different areas– Cowslip in NY vs Cowslip in England

Binomial System of Naming Plants

• Early scholars wrote in Latin or Greek so they gave plants Latin or Greek describing names

• They were too long or complicated• Dianthus floribus solitariis, squamis calycinis

subovatis brevissimis, corollis, crenatis= common carnation

• Swedish botanist, Carolus Linaeus simplified this by forming the binomial system (means two name system)

• He gave all plants 2 latin names• Catnip= Nepeta cataria• Genus Species• All plants belonging to same genus have

similar characteristics• All plants with same specific name belong to

same species (in Latin means “kind”)• Species are also divided into varieties as well

• Varieties in a species are similar but will always have one or two differences that are consistent and inherited

• Cultivars are “cultivated varieties” or one that is developed for a purpose

• The generic name is a noun and the species name is an adjective

• Betula lutea Juglans nigra Quercus rubra

• birch yellow walnut black oak ruby

• Sometimes the specific names gives geographical information about where a plant occurs– Anemone virginiana= Virginian Anemone

• Macro and Micro are greek words meaning large and small and are often used– Macrophylla= large leaves, microphylla= small

leaves

• When meanings of scientific names are understood, names are interesting and not difficult to learn

• This is a universal language so all places use the same names for plants

• Common names are misleading, the scientific name never is

Plant Families

• Related genera (plural genus) with similar flower structures are grouped together in families

• All members in each family will have similar flower structures

Simple flower Tube flower Composite flower

Taxonomy Chart • Shows the hierarch of botanical nomenclature• Kingdom• Division or Phylum• Class• Order• Family• Genus • Species• Variety or cultivar