The name of a plant sold at a nursery should include the genus, species and common name on its tag. The first name you’ll see on the tag is the genus name. It’s always capitalized and italicized. The species name follows the genus name and is also italicized, but is not capitalized. In the example on the left, Pennisetum is the genus, setaceum is the species and Purple Fountain Grass is the common name.
A genus is a cluster of plants with common characteristics that are easily recognized. Aster, Crocus and Petunia are examples of genus names. A genus may contain a single species (as in Ginkgo) or more than 100 species (as in Rosa). The genus is always the first word of the two Latin names of a plant--for example, Ginkgo biloba or Rosa rugosa.
A species is a group of similar plants that live together in nature and cross breed among themselves. They have common characteristics and reproduce baby plants that are consistently like the parent plant, although there can be slight differences in appearance. The next time you walk through the woods, notice the variation in plants of a single species. For example, a Trillium will have three leaves and three petals, but the color and markings may vary slightly from plant to plant.
Plant characteristics include:
1. height and width
2. length and season of bloom
3. flower type, size, shape and color
4. leaf size, shape and color
5. bud shape and color
6. stem shape and color
7. seasonal foliage color
All of these characteristics can vary depending on the genus, species, cultivar, hybrid and variety. Lucky for us, plants have Latin names! And who do we have to thank for having to learn all these Latin names? A Swedish naturalist named Linnaeus (a.k.a. Carl von Linne), who published his work in a book called Species Plantarum in 1753.
Linnaeus came up with the binomial nomenclature (two name) system, a scientific method of classifying plants. In this system, a plant name has a genus, a species, and sometimes a sub-species and cultivar. Linnaeus simplified naming immensely (can you believe it!) by designating one Latin name to indicate the genus, and one as a "shorthand" name for the species.
That’s enough to absorb in one reading, don’t you think? I don't know about you, but the first time I heard all this, my eyes glazed over and it went flying right over my head. So I'm calling time out. Next time I’ll blog about varieties, cultivars, and hybrids.
But if you can't wait and you’d like more horticulture definitions now, here’s the perfect web site to visit: http://dodge.unl.edu/HPGlossary/GlossaryA.htm
If you find Linnaeus fascinating and want to know more about him, try this website: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html
UPCOMING DELAWARE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS
August 11, 2007: Vegetable & Fruit Sculpting
Learn how to create sculpted veggies & fruit. This is a hands-on workshop.
September 8, 2007: Gourds & Birdhouses
Learn how to make birdhouses and other useful items from gourds you can grow in your garden. This is a hands-on workshop.
Registration required. Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.html.
Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
