All about Botanical Names of Plants
Understanding Botanical Plant
Names
Plants, like any other living organism, are given
botanical names based on an internationally accepted system for naming
each unique and distinct plant, whether natural or cultivated. This system,
developed by the 18th century botanist Carl Linnaeus, provides a first
name called the "genus" and a second name called a "species". This provides
people world-wide, a way to refer to a distinctly identified and classified
plant using the same accepted name. The advantage is that common names
ascribed to plants - which are easier to remember - cause much confusion
when used to refer to several different plants. In addition to these two
names, plants fall into distinct families (a classification higher and
broader than genus) and into subdivisions below the species level to name
forms and varieties of plants which share common species characteristics.
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Genus: A genus refers
to a group of species of plants that share certain structural characteristics
as determined by botanical study. The genus name, a noun, may come from
mythology, literature, or other sources which refer to something the plant
resembles.
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Species: The species,
an adjective, often refers to a place, the plant's characteristics/appearance,
or the name of the person credited with discovering it Species are botanically
classified by analysis of the flower parts and characteristics for flowering
plants, and by the seed/cone for coniferous and other non-flowering plants.
This is why plants with distinctively different foliage or other characteristics
can be classified as the same species. Species is abbreviated sp. or spp.
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Variety: A subdivision
of species which describes naturally occurring changes, sports, or mutations
that create a distinctively different plant in appearance. The same plant
may grow on two different continents but grow taller on one than the other
or have identical flowers forms but different colors. These would would
be an example of different forms or varieties. The key words are "naturally
occurring". Those that reproduce the different characteristic without human
intervention are named true varieties (var.) or forms (forma). Those varieties
that require human intervention (asexual reproduction methods), are known
as cultivated varieties or "cultivars" for short. These are sometimes abbreviated
cv.
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Cultivar: A subdivision
of a variety/species that identifies a plant characteristic which originated
in nature but can only be replicated by asexual reproduction and human
intervention. Examples are variegations, growth forms, foliage or flower
color, etc.
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Hybrid: A new variety
of plant that is created through human intervention through sexual means
(crossing the pollen of one plant with the egg, contained in the pistol,
of another which results in a distinctively new plant. Continued reproduction
may require the same crossing technique as rarely do seed produced from
a mature plant created by hybridization or from a cultivar reproduce the
same desired characteristic. Hybrid crosses are readily done among plants
of the same species and rarely between plants of different genera.
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How to correctly write plant
names: When the genus and species are written together, the first
letter of the noun genus is capitalized and the species is in all lower
case but both are italicized. Latinized names have genders which are expressed
in the last syllable. Masculine ends in "us". Feminine endings are "a"
and "es". Neuter endings include "um", "n", and "ma". The species, an adjective,
must agree with the gender of the noun genus. A cultivar is indicated by
a single quote (') before and after the name which is not italicized. If
the cultivar is named after someone or a place which is normally capitalized,
the cultivar name is also capitalized. Some examples using Hollies follow:
-Ilex vomitoria (the botanical name for
Yaupon Holly - this species was used by the indians to induce vomiting
- the derivation of it's species name)
-Ilex vomitoria 'nana' (A dwarf form of Yaupon
Holly)
-Ilex vomitoria 'Will Fleming' (A cultivar
discovered by Will Fleming)
-Ilex X attenuata 'sunny foster' (a cultivar
of a hybrid between I. opace and I. Cassine which produces yellow leaves
on new growth)
A sample list of some of the commonly
used names
When you see the botanical names of plants and related
cultivars, often the Latin derived name is descriptive of their ornamental
features.
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Aurea, aureo -- golden (applies to yellow variegations
or coloration)
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Alba, albo -- white (applies to white variegations)
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Glauca -- blue (describes a blue tinted leaf coloration)
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Glabra -- shiny, silvery (describes a leaf coloration)
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Rubra -- red (describes red colorations)
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Purpurea, atropurpurea -- purple, (describes purple
coloration)
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Marginata -- marginal (describes a type of variegation)
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Medio -- middle (describes a type of variegation)
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Striata -- streaks (describes a type of variegation)
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variegata -- variegated (not specifically descriptive
of the type of variegation)
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Contorta, tortulosa, monstrosa -- contorted, twisted,
fused growth habits
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Zebrina, zebrinus -- striped or banded
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Tricolor -- a three color blend of variegation
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Rotunda, rotundifolia -- round shaped
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Fastigiata -- tall, slender, upright, columnar shape
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Prostrata -- low to the ground, creeping
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Pendula -- weeping growth habit
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Triangularis, obovatus, lanceolata, serrata, palmatum,
etc. -- descriptions of leaf shapes which can be found in glossaries of
our book recommendations. In addition, there are standard terminologies
for branching forms, leaf types, inflorescence, etc. contained in these
glossaries Often these are used in species or cultivar names to describe
the unique plant characteristic. Take time to become familiar with them.
A glossary of the roots of botanical names can be
found here Glossary
of Roots of Botanical Names Some other good sites for help on
understanding plant botanical names include: Dictionary
of Botanical Epitapths, and Making
Sense of Botanical Names.
In addition to Botanical names,
there are botanical terms to confuse you. Although we don't intend to
provide an internet glossary of terminology on horticulture, one area of
confusion in terminology is the definitions of various specialized underground
roots containing food storage systems to sustain them through dormancy
periods. These include many common garden perennials that we grow
. Let's become botanically correct by differentiating these types of
plants.
BULBS: A
bulb is like a seed inasmuch as a new plant generates from the embryo contained
within (all the plant structures and nutrient for growth waiting to emerge when
conditions are right). Most bulbs are round, contain a thin scaly
covering. A pointed end should always be pointing upward for stems to
emerge and the other end develops new roots for the maturing plant.
(Examples: Amaryllis, Crinum, Lilies, and Onions)
CORMS:
These are flattened swollen underground stems, the tops of which are generally
flat. Corms have scale-like leaves that protect the dormant plant
but do not store food. (Examples: Gladiolus, Freesias)
RHIZOMES:
These are swollen horizontal underground stems with roots. They can be
most any shape, slender or thick, all of which have buds on the growing
end. (Examples: Canna, Calla, Iris, and carrots!)
TUBERS:
Thick, often lumpy structures that are fatter and shorter than rhizomes and
contain growing buds on the surface in non-specific locations.
(Examples: Caladium, cyclamen, dahlia, and yes, potatoes!)
TUBUROUS
ROOTS: Thick root sections sometimes held in clusters from which new
plants can generate from a single root structure. (Examples:
Agapanthus, Daylily, Manihot)
Please return to ORNAMENTAL
HORTICULTURE FOR THE HOUSTON/CLEAR LAKE AREA
for
more horticultural information.
This page was last modified on November 15, 2002