PLANT CLASSIFICATION
Objective: Students will be able to
know how to classify a plant and
be able to create their own plant
using the correct classification
How has plant classification
evolved?
• Common name insufficient
• Need for uniform and internationally acceptable
system
How can plants be classified?
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Climate
Seasons
Edible parts
Usage
Foliage
Flowers
Growth habits
Life Cycle
WHO WAS FIRST TO
CLASSIFY PLANTS?
• Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
system led to modern taxonomy
• Modern scientific naming/classification
grouped by taxa based on physical
characteristics
7 CATEGORIES FOR
CLASSICATION
• Kingdom
• Division or Phylum
• Class
– Subclass
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Order
Family
Genus
Species
Kingdom
• The start of classification
• 5 kingdoms
– Animalia
– Plantae
– Fungi
– Protista
– Archaea
– Bacteria
Phylum or Division
• Plantae Kingdom is divided in to Phylas
• 10 plant phylas
– Non-vascular (moss): Bryophytas,
Hepaticophyta, Anthocerophyta
– Vascular (ferns): Pterophya, Lycophyta,
– Gymnosperms (trees no showy flowers):
Coniferophyta, Cycadophyta, Gnetophyta, and
Ginkophyta,
– Angiosperms (flowering): Anthophyta
CLASS AND ORDER
• No rules for plants
FAMILY
• Latin names
• Names give clues to appearance
– May also clue characteristics, habitat, person
named for, etc.
GENUS AND SPECIES
• Two-word (binomial) name
• First name – genus; Second name – species
• Abbreviated name of scientist who named
plant
– Example: “L.” means Linnaeus
• Genus (generic name) always capitalized
• Species (specific epithet) never capitalized
– Except may be capitalized if a person’s name
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Either underlined or italicized
Authority name is never italicized
Listings of several plants in same genus:
Example– Acer rubrum (Red maple)
MORE RULES
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“sp.” or “spp.” stands for species
“var.” from Latin varietas, “variety”
“cv.” from cultivated variety
Indicates exact species is not known for
the genus being considered
– “sp.” “spp.” “var” or “cv” never underlined or
italicized
PLANT NAME EXAMPLES
• Plantae Gymnosperm Alnus Alinus
glutinosa- Alder, Common alder
• Plantae Gymnosperm Malus Maclura
pomifera- Apples, Osage apple
• Plantae Gymnosperm Fraxinus Acer
negundo- Ash, Black ash
Assignment
• You will create your own plant
• You need to have the following:
– Kingdom
– Division or Phylum
– Class
– Order
– Family
– Genus
– Species
• You will need to have a drawing of your
flower
• All names need to be in Latin, expected
your name if you use it.