Scientific Name (Family, Genus, Genera, Species, Subspecies, Variety)

Plants are given a scientific name so that people can be sure they’re talking about the same plant.

There is an agreed-on hierarchy of names. The ones we refer to in PlantID are:

Family (e.g. Rosa, the Rose Family)

Genus (e.g. Prunus)

Species (e.g. virginiana)

Subspecies or variety (e.g. var. demissa)

This plant’s scientific name is Prunus virginiana var. demissa

Photo by Barry Breckling

Genus is unique, so family doesn’t need to be mentioned in the scientific name.

Plant families and genera (the plural of genus) are organized based on common characteristics. For instance, Prunus includes many fruit trees that have similar flowering, budding and fruit properties.

Within a genus are many species - plants that share genus characteristics but that are separated into groups that can easily reproduce with each other.

Subspecies are variations within a species typically caused by geographic separation. For instance, a desert population may have predictably smaller and tougher leaves. Over many generations, these become inherited characteristics.

Varieties are variations within a species population that are not caused by geographic separation.

Even though the purpose of scientific names is to provide clarity, botanists frequently change scientific name based on new discoveries. For instance, two groups of plants that look the same may be found to have distinctive genetic differences. Or, two groups of plants that look quite different may turn out to have a recent common ancestor.

Corrections/Comments: bruce@PlantID.net