Plant Taxonomy Lecture Notes

Plant Taxonomy

The study of the principles and practices of plant classification.

Nomenclature

The system of naming plants according to a standardized set of rules.

Taxon

A group of one or more populations of organisms which form a unit.

Holotype

The single herbarium specimen on which the description of a new species is based.

Dichotomous Key

A tool used for identifying organisms by presenting a series of choices that lead to the correct name.

Cladistics

A method of analysis that aims to group organisms based on common ancestry.

Binomial Nomenclature

A system of naming species where each species is given a name composed of two parts: the genus name and the specific epithet.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The organization of taxonomic units from broad to specific, such as Kingdom, Division, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Folk Taxonomy

An informal system of naming and classifying plants based on local customs and knowledge.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history and relationships among species.

Type Specimen

A preserved sample used as a reference for describing a species and determining its identity.

Necessity of Plant Taxonomy

Required for communication among biologists and ensuring consistency in plant-related experiments and studies.

Empiricism

A classification approach that utilizes all available characters without assuming a priori importance to any of them.

Essentialism

A classification approach that gives more importance to specific attributes believed to define the essence of organisms.

International Code of Nomenclature (ICN)

The set of rules governing botanical nomenclature, ensuring stability and continuity.

Cultivar

A variety of a plant that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.

Hybrid

A plant produced by the crossing of two distinct species.

Synonym (in taxonomy)