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 nonwoody 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
Cornus-dogwood
Acer-Maple
Rhododendronrhododendron
Ilex-Holly
Quercus-oak
Ficus-fig
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
Columnar
Spreading
Weeping
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 PartsStem
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
Drupe
Acorns
Fruits and Nuts
Samara
Capsules
Use and location
Not absolute but helpful
Indoor or Outdoor
Altitude
Wet or dry
Zone
Sun, partial shade, shade
Landscape purpose-specimen,
border, etc.