PLANT CLASSIFICATION Topic # 2012 Matt Jakubik

Taxonomy The science dealing with: –Describing plants and animals –Naming plants and animals –Classifying plants and animals

All living things are divided into groups called: TAXA Taxa Groups: –Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Genus – Species

Kingdom is the largest taxa Five Kingdoms –Animal –PLANT –Fungi –Protista –Monera

Characteristics of Plants Are stationary Most have green pigments Are Autotrophs –Synthesize their own food Plant cells have a cell wall Have unlimited growth

Binomial Naming System Created in the mid 1700’s By Carl Von Linnaeus –“Father of Taxonomy” Each species of life has; –Genus name –Species name

Principles of Evolution in Plant Classification Created by Charles Darwin Groups organisms on basis of common ancestry Task is difficult to accomplish –Most species that evolved into modern plants are now extinct

Reasons for Classifying Plants Avoids confusion of common names –Example: Convolvulus Arvensus Known as: Morning Glory in CA Bindweed in Midwest Language barriers avoided since all names are Latin Plants have the same Latin name all over the world Plant similarities are stressed

Taxa: GENUS Plants within their GENUS are: –Morphologically common –Capable of crossing among themselves –Absolutely incapable of crossing with plants of another genus

Taxa: Species Plants within their SPECIES: –All belong to a specific genus –Are members of a species resemble one another more than that of another species

Writing Latin Plant Names The genus name IS capitalized The species name is NOT capitalized Both genus and species are either underlined or italicized Example: Prunus persica = peach

Genus + Species = Binomial Name Genus name is like your last name Species name is like your first name

Taxonomy’s Application in Agriculture Predict cultural requirements of plants Predict graft capabilities Determine plants that can be used in hybridization work Find related plants that resist diseases and insects

Michon Scott “Strange Science.”