Plant Names- Common and Botanical Plant Names
Plant names can be a bit of a mystery, however the system that controls how we name plants is designed to be both ordered and descriptive. It is through this system, rather than using common names that we can best identify plants.
Plants Names . The system for names plants (Botanical Plant Names) is the Linnaeus system of classification. Common plant names have been developed by shortening the Botanical names or from local use. Plant cultivars names are chosen by plant breeders. We provide a guide to plants and the naming of plants, plant photographs with names as well as where to find then and buy them
The Plant Naming system Carl Von Lynne developed in 1753. Now known as the Linnaeus system of classification is the botanical system onwhich we base plant names.
Lynne set up a heirchy for naming plants (and everything else that lives) and this heirachy of names is as follows.
We use the well known plant name Magnolia Little Gem to trace its name
PLANT NAME SYSTEM
- Kingdom
Plants are in the Plantae Kingdom - Division or Phyllum
There are 19 Divisions. Let Follow one: Phylum Magnoliophyta - Classes
In the Division or Phylum Magnoliophyta there are 2 classes Liliopsida and Magnoliopsida - Orders
Magnoliopsida contains 61 Orders one of which is Magnoliales - Families
Magnoliales contains 6 families one of which is Magnoliaceae - Genus
Magnoliaceae has two genus Lironendron and Magnolia - Species
Magnolia has around 200 different species
So Magnolia Grandiflora is the species name (Plant Name)
So where does Magnolia Little Gem get its name?
- Magnolia’ Little Gem’ is a common plant name or cultivar name.
- The real plant name would be Magnolia Grandiflora ‘Little Gem’.
- Magnola being the genus name, Grandiflora being the species name and Little Gem being the cultivar name or plant name.
So Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ is a seedling developed by Warren Steed of Steed’s Nursery, Candor, North Carolina. He gave it the plant name or cultivar name ‘Little Gem’
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