Print Names and Classification

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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Archived Publications Archived USU Extension Publications 6-30-2006 Print Names and Classification Larry A.

edu/extension_histall Part of the Plant Sciences Commons Warning: The information in this series may be obsolete. It is presented here for historical purposes only.

1 Utah State University All Archived Publications Archived USU Extension Publications Print Names and Classification Larry A. Sagers Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Plant Sciences Commons Warning: The information in this series may be obsolete. It is presented here for historical purposes only. For the most up to date information please visit The Utah State University Cooperative Extension Office Recommended Citation Sagers, Larry A., "Print Names and Classification" (2006). All Archived Publications. Paper This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Archived USU Extension Publications at It has been accepted for inclusion in All Archived Publications by an authorized administrator of For more information, please contact

2 Plant Names and Classification Chapt. 16

3 Scientific Names Common names - recognized by laypeople; less imposing, simple, easy to remember; may be descriptive; many different names for same organism or no common name; may be misleading; may be used for more than one taxon Scientific names - (ideally) a unique name for each organism used worldwide; Latin(ized)

4 Scientific Names provides a unique "identifier" for a taxon provides information about the relationships among taxa

5 Taxonomy the branch of biology that deals with the identification, naming and classification of organisms Taxonomists taxon - a general term that refers to any group of similar organisms

6 Scientific Names Binomial nomenclature - each species name consists of: Generic name - e.g. Andropogon Specific epithet - e.g. gerardii Big bluestem - Andropogon gerardii

7 Scientific Names (cont.) Botanists also include an authority(s); indicates who named the taxon and/or revised the classification e.g. Andropogon gerardii Vitman Fulgenzio Vitman , Italian botanist and clergyman, founded botanical garden in Milan Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.)Nash Michaux originally described little bluestem, but he put it in the genus Andropogon. Nash later provided evidence that it should be transferred to the genus Schizachyrium.

8 Classification and Nomenclature Theophrastus - died 287 B.C.; classified plants based on leaf morphology Doctrine of Signatures - 15th-17th Century "God hath imprinted upon the plants, herb and flowers as were it in hieroglyphics the very signature of their virtues." Robert Turner, 1664 Polynomials - grouped plants into genera; used Latin phrases to distinguish between species

9 Linnaeus Species Plantarum, included polynomials, but also a 2 word "abbreviation" for each species - first consistent use of binomials Species - (a population of) similar individuals capable of freely interbreeding and producing fertile offspring; reproductively isolated from similar groups

10 Linnaeus Created a system of 24 artificial "classes" distinguished primarily by stamens and other flower characteristics Greatly facilitated identification, but "classes" did not accurately identify phylogenetic relationships

11 International Code of Botanical Nomenclature 1867 agreed to use Species Planatarum as the starting point for scientific names agreed to use binomials for species names provides standardized rules for naming and classifying plants

12 International Code of Botanical Nomenclature Official recognition of a new plant requires: 1) publishing a Latin description of the plant in a public publication or journal 2) deposition of an annotated type specimen in a public herbarium

13 Taxonomic Groups Domain Kingdom Phylum (Division) Class Order Family Genus Species

14 Domains Archaea Bacteria Eukarya Biochemical evidence suggests three different broad categories of living organisms

15 Kingdoms 6 Kingdom system recognizes Archaea (may be elevated to Domain) Bacteria (may be elevated to Domain) Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia combined under Domain Eukarya

16 Taxonomic Groups Domain - Eukarya Kingdom - Plantae Phylum - Magnoliophyta Class - Liliopsida Order - Cyperales Family - Poaceae Genus - Andropogon Species - Andropogon gerardii

17 Standardized endings for Taxonomic Groups Phylum - ophyta e.g. Magnoliophyta Class - opsida e.g. Liliopsida Order - ales e.g. Cyperales Family - aceae e.g. Poaceae

18 Examples Big Bluestem Little Bluestem Annual Sunflower Piñon Pine D Eukarya Eukarya Eukarya Eukarya K Plantae Plantae Plantae Plantae P Magnoliophyta Magnoliophyta Magnoliophyta Pinophyta C Liliopsida Liliopsida Magnoliopsida Pinopsida O Cyperales Cyperales Asterales Pinales F Poaceae Poaceae Asteraceae Pinaceae G Andropogon Schizachyrium Helianthus Pinus S A. gerardii S. scoparium H. annuus P. edulis *bold font only used to highlight shared taxons

19 Dichotomous Keys a tool designed to help identify an organism most keys are dichotomous - the reader is provided with two choices at each step in the key; selections continually eliminate dissimilar organisms until a single taxon is identified

20 References Flora or Manual - keys, descriptions, perhaps illustrations, distributions, life histories, economic importance, taxonomic problems Keys - only identification tools Guides - generally nontechnical

Plant Names and Classification

Plant Names and Classification Science of Taxonomy Identification (necessary!!) Classification (order out of chaos!) Nomenclature (why not use common names?) Reasons NOT to use common names Theophrastus