Plant Taxonomy

1. What did the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus, do? Developed the Binomial (two-name) system for naming plants. (In the 1700’s)

2. What are the two Latin or botanical names used to classify plants?

Generic name (genus) Specific name (species)

3. What does generic name mean?

Group Name (Genus) Pansies = Viola

4. What does species mean?

Kind Viola wittrockiana Viola tricolor

5. What categories can plants be divided into after the species name?

Varieties and Cultivars

6. Variety

Varieties are members of the same species.

Have one or two differences that are consistent and inherited. A variety is a sub-group of a species. Varieties occur in nature.

Most varieties are true to type – means that seedlings grown from a variety will have the same characteristics as the parents.

These three flowers are all pansies, but different varieties. (different color)

7. Cultivar (cv.)

Cultivated variety – was selected and cultivated by humans.

Not necessarily true to type.

Many cultivars are propagated vegetatively by cuttings, grafting, and tissue culture.

Propagation by seed will often produce offspring with different traits than the parents, Popular ornamental garden plants like roses, camellias, daffodils, rhododendrons and azaleas are cultivars.

8. What can the species name tell us about a plant?

Can give important information about the plant.

Examples: Color – lutea (yellow) Growth habit – repens (creeping)

9. What is the genus name?

Major subdivision of a family or subfamily in the classification of organisms.

Examples: Papaver – poppy Pelargonium - geranium

List the meaning for each genus and species name.

10. Acer – Maple 11. Chrysanthemum – 12. Papaver – 14. lutea – 15. alba – 16. rubra – 17. nigra – Red 18. repens – Poppy 13. Pelargonium – Yellow White Black Creeping Mum Geranium

19. How are Scientific Names Written?

   

Genus is always capitalized Species is always lowercase

Italicized

in general text or underlined Example:

Pinus alba

What tree is this?

White Pine

20. What is a variety?

A taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others of the same species in minor but heritable characteristics.

Varieties are enclosed by single quotation marks

Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropurpurea’

Purple European Beech KEY TERMS: Taxonomic category – a particular group of plants. Heritable – Trait that can be passed on to offspring.

21. What is a cultivar (cv.)

A cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of desired characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when propagated it retains those characteristics.

Cultivars are preceded by cv. and enclosed by single quotation marks.

EXAMPLE:

Acer rubrum cv. ‘Red Sunset’

What kind of tree?

Red Maple

22. What is the main benefit of using the binomial system of Latin names?

It is a universal language used by people all over the world.

23. Genera

Plural for genus

What is Taro?

Grown in Hawaii to make Poi.

Corms from the Taro plant Poi Corm – underground stem like a tuber.

24. Families

Related genera with similar traits.

For example, the Taro Family

Write the common family name for each of the following scientific family names 25. Rosaceae – Rose 26. Solonaceae – Potato 27. Compositae – Daisy 28. Cruciferae – Cabbage 29. Umbelliferae – Carrot 30. Papaveraceae – Poppy 31. Liliaceae – Lily 32. Graminae – Grass

Write the complete hierarchy of specification for the Red Maple Tree 33.

34.

35.

Kingdom – Plantae Phylum – Trachrophyta Class – Angiospermae 36.

37. 38.

39.

Order – Sapindales Family – Genus – Acer Species – Aceraceae rubrum

Use the Western Garden Book or internet to find the Latin name for each of the following plants: 40.

African Marigold –

Tagetes erecta

41. Candytuft -

Iberis sempervirens

42.

Petunia -

Petunia x hybrida

43. Geranium -

Pelargonium hortorum

44. Columbine -

Aquilegia x hybrida