Chapter 2: Tree Identification Flashcards
taxonomy
plant classification based on biological characteristics; science that studies the description denomination, and classification of living organisms based on their similarities and differences
kingdom
primary taxonomic group, separating plants from animals; highest level of classification
division
phylum; taxonomic group below the kingdom level but above the class level; second classification level
Plant Classification Acronym
King Philip Came Over For Good Spagetti (KPCOFGS)
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
vascular plants
plants with xylem and phloem elements for conducting water, nutrients, and photosynthates; consists of two groups: angiosperms and gymnosperms
angiosperms
plant with seeds borne in an ovary (fruit); consists of two large groups: monocotyledons (grasses, palms, and related plants) and dicotyledons (most woody trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and related plants); flowering plants, including most deciduous trees and broad-leaved evergreens
gymnosperms
plants with exposed (naked) seeds, usually with cones; ginkgos and conifers (cone-bearing plants)
class
taxonomic group below the division level but above the order level
dicotyledons
dicots; plant with two seed leaves (cotyledons) in its embryo; netted or palmate leaf veins; and flowers with three, four, or five petals, or petals in multiples of these numbers; most common tree species except conifers, banana, and palms
monocotyledons
monocots; plant with embryo that has one seed leaf (cotyledon); grasses, palms, lilies, and orchids; stems have little ability to increase in diameters
order
taxonomic group below the class level but above the family level
family
taxonomic group under the order level and above the genus level; plants in the same family have common characteristics, most notably their types of flowers and fruits
genus
taxonomic group, composed of species having similar fundamental traits; botanical classification under the family level and above the specific epithet level; plants in the same genus have similar characteristics, particularly in their reproductive structures (flowers and fruit)
species
taxonomic group of organisms composed of individuals of the same genus that can reproduce among themselves and have similar offspring; identifies the particular plant; genus + specific epithet = species
specific epithet
classification name that follows the genus name in scientific nomenclature
nomenclature
specific naming system for living organisms; scientific names are Latin (or Latinized forms of other languages) and written in italics, the genus first (always starting with capital letter), followed by the specific epithet (species, always starting with lowercase letter)
hybrids
plant resulting from a cross between two or more other plants that are more or less alike, usually from the same genus; written with an “x” between the genus and specific epithet
subspecies
group of plants within a species having distinct differences that occur naturally and usually within a specific geographic region
form
group of plants within a species having distinct variations that occur sporadically and naturally
variety
naturally occurring subdivision of a species having a distinct difference and breeding true to that difference
cultivar
cultivated variety of a plant; cannot be reproduced without human assistance; usually propagated asexually (cloned)
divisions of species
subspecies, form, and variety and/or cultivar
morphology
study of the form and structure of plants and other living organisms; size, shape, and appearance of plant parts
simple leaf
single-bladed leaf; not composed of leaflets (one blade, needle, etc.)
