Plant Taxonomy Horticulture Unit 2
Objective To differentiate between scientific and common plant names and explain the binomial system of naming plants.
Introduction* Most plants have more than one common name however they can be confusing because two totally different plants may have the same common name. For this reason it is import to know both the proper and the common name of plants For example the Red Maple is also know as the Swamp Maple and Scarlet Maple depending on the area you are in.
The Binomial System of Naming Plants Developed by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus Gave all plants two Latin names as their scientific name First name is the generic name, group name of GENUS Plants with the same generic name belong to the same genus and have similar characteristics and are more closely related Second name is the specific name or SPECIES Plants with the same specific name belong to the same species. These plants have the same characteristics and will consistently produce plants of the same type. Universal name of plants
Varieties Subdivision of species Resemble another variety but have one or two different characteristics that are consistent and inherited Example: Peach Tree is Prunus persica and the nectarine is Prunus persica var. nucipersica
Cultivars Another subdivision Cultivar means “cultivated variety” Example: Two cultivars of Acer rubrum (red maple) are ‘Red Sunset’ and ‘Autumn Flame’ Autumn Flame Red Sunset
Genus Name Noun Often are the names of botanists Common Generic names Acer (maple) Chrysanthemum (mum) Dianthus (pink) Hibiscus (mallow) Mimulus (monkey flower) Pinus (Pine)
Species Name Adjective Often gives important information about the plant such as color, if the plant is creeping or erect, size or geographic location where the plant occurs naturally
Plant Families Major units of related genera with similar flower structure Example: The rose family Rosaceae consists of several genera- Prunus (plum), Fragaria (strawberry), Rubus (bramble) and Malus (apple) Each have simple flowers with seperated petals Largest plant family is the Asteraceae (Aster) family
Plant Families Apple Plum Strawberry Bramble
Expressing Scientific Names Taxonomy Chart: Hierarch of Specification Kingdom—Plant Division or Phylum– Spermatophyta (seed plants) Class—Angiospermae (seeds in fruit) Order- Acerales Family--Aceraceae Genus--Acer Species—rubrum Variety or cultivar– var. ‘October Glory’
The Taxonomist Scientist who identify and classify plants Identify and classify plants in a hierarch of specification Must follow a national set of rules known as the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
Assignment Complete the self evaluation Multiple Choice and Matching Due Wednesday August 21 end of period