Scientific Classification of Plants

17.00: Apply procedures used in horticultural plant identification including scientific classification

Taxonomy

The science of _classification_ and identifying plants

Scientific names are used because the same common name is used for different plants in different areas of the world .

Karl von Linne

Swedish botanist that developed the binomial system of naming plants using two Latin words to indicate the genus and species.

Linne changed his name to the Latin name Carolus Linneaus.

Scientific Names

Latin is the language used for scientific classification.

The first word is the Genus and the second word is the species . If there are additional words, they indicate a variety or cultivar .

Genus vs. Species

Plants in the same genus have similar characteristic .

Plants in the same species consistently produce plants of the same type .

Scientific Classification

The broadest category of scientific classification is the kingdom --either plant or animal.

The broadest category in the plant kingdom is division or phylum.

Linnaean System

The Linnaean system uses two Latin name categories, genus and species, to designate each type of organism. A genus is a higher level category that includes one or more species under it. Such a dual level designation is referred to as a binomial nomenclature or binomial (literally “two names" in Latin). For example, Linnaeus described humans in his system with the binomial Homosapiens , or "man who is wise"--Homo is our genus and sapiens is our species.

Scientific Classification

The groupings (taxa) of taxonomy from most general to most specific are:

Kingdom (Plantae , Animalia, Protista, Fungi, Monera)

Phylum (animals) or Division (plants)

Class

Order

Family

Genus

species

Kingdom

Plants are in the Plantae Kingdom

27,000 named species of plants

Mosses, ferns, woody and non-woody flowering plants

Divisions

The four most important divisions of the plant kingdom are:

–Thallophites

–Bryophytes

–Pteriophytes

–Spermatophytes

Spermatophytes

Contains flowering or seed-bearing plants

Two subdivisions are:

–Gymnosperms and angiosperms

Common Plant Genus

Pinus-pine

Acer-Maple

Ilex-Holly

Ficus-fig

Cornus-dogwood

Rhododendron-rhododendron

Quercus-oak

Genus and Species

White Oak’s genus and species would look like:

–Quercus alba

–The genus is always capitalized

–The species is always lower cased

Growth Habits

trees

shrubs

vines

Form

Columnar

Spreading

Weeping

Round

Oval

Pyramidal

Growth Forms

Spreading

Weeping

Columnar

Growth Forms

Round Oval Pyramidal

Foliage Retention

Evergreen

Deciduous

Plant Parts-Leaves

Arrangement

Shapes

color

Vein pattern

Form (simple or compund)

Margin

Surface

Leaf Arrangement

alternate opposite Whorled

Leaf Shapes

Vein Pattern

palmate Parallel pinnate

Plant Parts-Flowers

• Color • Shape • Size

Plant Parts- Stem

Bud - Shape and color

Stem modifications

– thorns

– spines

–prickles

Thorns, Spines, Prickles

Thorn

Prickle Spine

Plant Parts-Roots

Tap Fibrous Bulb

Root Types

_______

Roots

_________

Root

Plant Parts-Fruit

Cones

Nuts (acorn)

Capsules (willow)

Clusters or Drupes (raspberry)

Samara (maple)

Fruits and Nuts

Cones

Acorns Drupe

Fruits and Nuts

Capsules

Samara

Use and location

Not absolute but helpful

Indoor or Outdoor

Altitude

Wet or dry

Zone

Sun, partial shade, shade

Landscape purpose-specimen, border, etc.