Post by pinglover on Oct 5, 2007 1:14:11 GMT
This was written by a friend of mine who gardens and works with several groups as a volunteer.
Would someone please tweak this and feel free to add any links that might be of help to High School students who will be creating a native plant garden on school property. Forget that the plants aren't CPs as what ever she comes up with can always be modified and used for kids in a CP program.
Binomial Nomenclature
As I become more interested in gardening and plants, I more fully understand the need for using Latin names or ‘binomial nomenclature’. However, my brain doesn’t seem to fully understand the need to retain ‘binomial nomenclature’.
When I have difficulty understanding a concept, I find it helpful to gather all the information I can about it, and basically start from the beginning. However, as I started researching ‘binomial nomenclature’ I found the instructional information sometimes as confusing as the subject itself, and didn’t really get very far. While this whole naming process is much more involved, I’ll share a few things that have helped me.
Webster defines binomial as “a biological species name consisting of two terms” and nomenclature as “the act or process or an instance of naming.” Furthermore, ‘binomial nomenclature’ is defined as “a system of nomenclature in which each species of animal or plant receives a name of two terms of which the first identifies the genus to which it belongs and the second the species itself.” More simply put “assigned two names.”
In 1753, Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) established the idea of classifying plants and animals in a formally ranked order based upon similar characteristics. His system divided nature into three kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral. These kingdoms were further divided into five ranks: class, order, genus, species, and variety. While this system of scientific classification has changed considerably since it was first established, the original idea remains the same.
Every known plant has been given a botanical name that identifies it by genus and species and is understood worldwide. If you go to a garden center and ask for Black-eyed Susan, they will probably show you Rudbeckia hirta the daisy-like flower most commonly know as Black-eyed Susan in our area, but Black-eyed Susan is also a common name for Hibiscus trionum and the vine Thunbergia alata; three very different flowers. If you ask for Rudbeckia hirta at the garden center, there will be much less confusion.
Rudbeckia hirta Hibiscus trionum Thunbergia alata
The genus Rudbeckia is part of the Asteraceae family that also includes daisies (Bellis perennis), dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). The most common characteristic of all of these is a flower head that is made up of a densely packed cluster of florets. The species hirta means “hairy” referring to the fuzziness of stems and/or leaves.
By remembering a few key words you can more easily figure out the characteristics of a plant.
Following is a short list of definitions:
• alata -winged
• alba – white
• albomarginata – white margined
• altissima – tallest, highest
• annuus - annual
• bellis – pretty
• cylindrical – cylinder-like
• elegans - elegant
• fulva - orange-yellow
• giganteum - large, gigantic
• helianthus - Sun flower
• hemerocallis –
hçmera “day”
kalos “beautiful”
• hibiscus - mallow-like plant
• marginata – margined
• maxima - largest
• officinale – official (used to identify medicinal herbs)
• perennis – perennial
• rogusa – wrinkled
• Rudbeckia (named for Olof Rudbeck, 17th century Swedish botanists) - flower head made up of densely packed cluster of florets
• taraxacum – bitter herb
• trionum – three colors
From the above list you can see Bellis perennis, or daisies, simply translates “pretty perennial.” And once you know the meaning of altissima, giganteum, or maxima you’ll know these probably won’t work as border plants, and trionum probably won’t be solid-colored. Additionally, plants that contain ‘helio’, as in helianthus, are not meant to be planted in the shade.
Don’t worry about memorizing everything, because there are plenty of books and websites that can help with definitions of botanical names. Johannsen’s Greenhouses in Madison has a guide of plants they carry every year listing common names along with their botanical names. You can pick one up during the growing season, or go online to [HYPERLINK@www.johannsens.com.] Also, [HYPERLINK@www.davesgarden.com] has a great botanical dictionary and search engine with information and pronunciation for over 16,000 words.
Finally, don’t be so concerned about pronouncing the botanical names correctly that you don’t use them. British botanist William T. Stearn said, “Botanical Latin is essentially a written language .... How they are pronounced really matters little provided they sound pleasant and are understood by all concerned...”
As I become more interested in gardening and plants, I more fully understand the need for using Latin names or ‘binomial nomenclature’. However, my brain doesn’t seem to fully understand the need to retain ‘binomial nomenclature’.
When I have difficulty understanding a concept, I find it helpful to gather all the information I can about it, and basically start from the beginning. However, as I started researching ‘binomial nomenclature’ I found the instructional information sometimes as confusing as the subject itself, and didn’t really get very far. While this whole naming process is much more involved, I’ll share a few things that have helped me.
Webster defines binomial as “a biological species name consisting of two terms” and nomenclature as “the act or process or an instance of naming.” Furthermore, ‘binomial nomenclature’ is defined as “a system of nomenclature in which each species of animal or plant receives a name of two terms of which the first identifies the genus to which it belongs and the second the species itself.” More simply put “assigned two names.”
In 1753, Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) established the idea of classifying plants and animals in a formally ranked order based upon similar characteristics. His system divided nature into three kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral. These kingdoms were further divided into five ranks: class, order, genus, species, and variety. While this system of scientific classification has changed considerably since it was first established, the original idea remains the same.
Every known plant has been given a botanical name that identifies it by genus and species and is understood worldwide. If you go to a garden center and ask for Black-eyed Susan, they will probably show you Rudbeckia hirta the daisy-like flower most commonly know as Black-eyed Susan in our area, but Black-eyed Susan is also a common name for Hibiscus trionum and the vine Thunbergia alata; three very different flowers. If you ask for Rudbeckia hirta at the garden center, there will be much less confusion.
Rudbeckia hirta Hibiscus trionum Thunbergia alata
The genus Rudbeckia is part of the Asteraceae family that also includes daisies (Bellis perennis), dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). The most common characteristic of all of these is a flower head that is made up of a densely packed cluster of florets. The species hirta means “hairy” referring to the fuzziness of stems and/or leaves.
By remembering a few key words you can more easily figure out the characteristics of a plant.
Following is a short list of definitions:
• alata -winged
• alba – white
• albomarginata – white margined
• altissima – tallest, highest
• annuus - annual
• bellis – pretty
• cylindrical – cylinder-like
• elegans - elegant
• fulva - orange-yellow
• giganteum - large, gigantic
• helianthus - Sun flower
• hemerocallis –
hçmera “day”
kalos “beautiful”
• hibiscus - mallow-like plant
• marginata – margined
• maxima - largest
• officinale – official (used to identify medicinal herbs)
• perennis – perennial
• rogusa – wrinkled
• Rudbeckia (named for Olof Rudbeck, 17th century Swedish botanists) - flower head made up of densely packed cluster of florets
• taraxacum – bitter herb
• trionum – three colors
From the above list you can see Bellis perennis, or daisies, simply translates “pretty perennial.” And once you know the meaning of altissima, giganteum, or maxima you’ll know these probably won’t work as border plants, and trionum probably won’t be solid-colored. Additionally, plants that contain ‘helio’, as in helianthus, are not meant to be planted in the shade.
Don’t worry about memorizing everything, because there are plenty of books and websites that can help with definitions of botanical names. Johannsen’s Greenhouses in Madison has a guide of plants they carry every year listing common names along with their botanical names. You can pick one up during the growing season, or go online to [HYPERLINK@www.johannsens.com.] Also, [HYPERLINK@www.davesgarden.com] has a great botanical dictionary and search engine with information and pronunciation for over 16,000 words.
Finally, don’t be so concerned about pronouncing the botanical names correctly that you don’t use them. British botanist William T. Stearn said, “Botanical Latin is essentially a written language .... How they are pronounced really matters little provided they sound pleasant and are understood by all concerned...”
Would someone please tweak this and feel free to add any links that might be of help to High School students who will be creating a native plant garden on school property. Forget that the plants aren't CPs as what ever she comes up with can always be modified and used for kids in a CP program.
