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 Copyright:
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