Botanical Names Reveal Relationships
They tell us how closely related plants are to each other.
Plants in the same species always have the same botanical name, like Acer macrophyllum.
Other species in the same genus have the same genus name and a different species epithet, such as circinatum..
Each botanical or scientific name has two parts: the genus and the specific epithet.
The first word is the genus and then, to get a species name, a second word is added — the epithet — an adjective in Latin form.
This second word may be a new creation and not actually a word from Latin..
The genus name in the botanical name of a plant species is the first part whereas the specific epithet is the second part.
For example, Musa acuminata (a banana species native in Southeast Asia) is comprised of the genus name Musa and the specific epithet acuminata..
Linnaeus' innovation, first applied to plants and later to animals, was to create a two-part name, today given in either Latin or Greek.
The first designates the broader group to which the plant belongs, called a genus, and the second names the plant itself as a species..
Linnaeus' innovation, first applied to plants and later to animals, was to create a two-part name, today given in either Latin or Greek.
The first designates the broader group to which the plant belongs, called a genus, and the second names the plant itself as a species..
Botanical Names Reveal Relationships
They tell us how closely related plants are to each other.
Plants in the same species always have the same botanical name, like Acer macrophyllum.
Other species in the same genus have the same genus name and a different species epithet, such as circinatum.Jan 7, 2021.
Development of understanding of relationships among plants
