2.1. Writing Plant Names

Question 1

Writing generic name.

Answer 1

Begins with capital.
Italics in print.
Underlined is hand written.

Question 2

Genus example

Answer 2

Primula

Contains species including Primula vulgaris, Primula Verdi’s and Primula elation

Question 3

Genus -description

Answer 3

Contains one or more species with similar botanical characteristics.

Names often derived from Latin or Greek mythological figures or plant characteristics.

Question 4

Family - description.

Answer 4

Families of plants composed of a number of closely related genera.

Have similar flowers, reproductive structures etc.

Evolutionarily related.

Question 5

Division of plants

Answer 5

1.Kingdom
2. Division
3. Class
4. Subclass
5 Order
6. Family
7. Genus
8. Species

Question 6

How to write family name

Answer 6

Always a single word.
Italicised in print
Underlined when hand written.
Often, but not always, end in ‘aceae’
Eg Primulaceae includes Cyclades and dionysia

Question 7

Names of subspecies
Varieties
Number of words

Answer 7

Three or more words

eg. Panicum vigatum var.cubense

Question 8

Species - no of words?

Answer 8

Binomial - two words eg. Taxus bacatta

Question 9

Example of division of plants

Answer 9

Kingdom - Plantae. (Plants)
Division - Spermatophyta (Seed Plants)
Class - Angiosperms (flowering plant)
Subclass - Dicotyledoneae (dicotyledon)
Order - Rosaceae
Genus - Rosa
Species - rugosa

Question 10

Plant taxonomy or classification

Answer 10

Science of naming organisms and placing them in hierarchical structure.

Question 11

Orders

Answer 11

Within classes there are subclasseds which contain groups of orders eg. 
class Magnoliosida
Subclass Dilleniidae
Order Ericales (inc. heathers)

Question 12

The Weeping Beech

Answer 12

Family - Fagaceae (beeches, chestnuts and oak)
Genus - Fagus (beech)
Specific epithet - sylvatica (of the wood)
Cultivar - Pendula (weeping beech )

Question 13

Uninomial - one single word

Answer 13

Higher order, taxa eg. Kingdom, phylum, class order, genus.

Question 14

Descriptive species names.

Form

Answer 14

Ranunculus repens

Creeping Buttercup

Question 15

Descriptive species names:

Use

Answer 15

Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary of the shop

Question 16

Descriptive species names

Shape of plant

Answer 16

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Cotoneaster with horizontal growth

Question 17

Descriptive species names:

Edibility

Answer 17

Passiflora edulis

Passion flower (edible fruit)

Question 18

Descriptive species names.

Colour

Answer 18

Cornus Alba

Dogwood with white fruit

Question 19

Descriptive species name

Country of origin

Answer 19

Camellia japonica

Camellia of Japan

Question 20

Descriptive species name:

Habitat

Answer 20

Cardamine pratensis

Cress of the meadows