What's in a name?
Scientific nomenclature helps us bring order to the diversity of life, linking together organisms in groups based on similar features. But how does it all work?
When I encounter an unfamiliar plant, the initial question that races through my mind is, ‘What family do you belong in?’
The concept of 'Family' might initially seem odd, but in many ways, it is incredibly logical. The Family of a plant denotes its relation to other plants, often signaled by shared characteristics. These might include the size or habit (tree, shrub, herb) of the plant, certain chemical traits—manifested in colors, aromas, flavors—and the shape and form of its flowers. Understanding a plant's familial ties allows me to immediately compare and contrast it with its relatives, leveraging my knowledge of other plants utilized for food, medicine, tools, and beyond. It's easy to see the usefulness of this when stumbling upon a new plant in the wild!
Beyond their family names, plants have very specific names written in Latin to identify them as a species. A species is defined as the smallest group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring in nature. It is also a fundamental unit of classification in biology, made up of organisms that share common physical characteristics and genetic heritage. To understand the naming of plants, here’s a brief introduction to binomial nomenclature, the system of naming scientists have been using for the last three centuries.
Binomial Nomenclature: The Naming of Life
Binomial nomenclature is a system used in biology for the classification and naming of species. The term "binomial" refers to the two-part format of the system, consisting of the genus name and the species name. This universal naming protocol was first implemented by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century and is used globally to ensure a consistent method of species identification. It is important to note that long before Linnaeus established this system as a scientific practice, indigenous groups around the world had their own—and often two-component—systems for naming living things!
The first part of the binomial name, the genus, is always capitalized and written in italics. It denotes a group of species that share common characteristics. For instance, in the name Homo sapiens, 'Homo' is the genus, referring to human-like species.
The second part, the species name, is also italicized but starts with a lowercase letter. It typically points to a specific characteristic of the species or its origin. For example, in Homo sapiens, 'sapiens' is the species name, meaning 'wise' in Latin, thus indicating our cognitive abilities.
Binomial nomenclature is written in Latin, a dead language, which doesn't change over time, providing stability to the names. However, many species names also contain Greek roots, Latinized for consistency. This system offers many benefits. Primarily, it provides a globally recognized standard, eliminating confusion when different languages have different names for the same species. It also offers a hierarchical framework that indicates relationships between different species. For instance, organisms sharing the same genus name are more closely related than those in different genera.
For botanists, it’s important that we don’t rely on common names of plants as there may be many different types of plants known by the same common name, depending on who you ask! For example, a “daisy” could refer to one of hundreds of species! In botany, as in any field of science, accuracy is key! The two-named system that offers a globally recognized Genus species assignment, allows us to be precise in our research.
Biological Classification by Taxonomic Rank
If you’d like to take your biology know-how one step further, you can also explore higher levels of the system of biological classification. Above the rank of ‘Family’, there is ‘Order’, and at the very top of the list we have ‘Kingdom’, which differentiates between animals, plants, protists, fungi, and prokaryotes. All plants belong to the Kingdom Plantae. Here is an example of where we would find the culinary herb basil (Ocimum basilicum) along the tree of life:
Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
Class: Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons, also known as Dicotyledoneae)
Order: Lamiales (includes a variety of flowering plants)
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Genus: Ocimum (basil)
Species: Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil)
A Helpful Resource
Would you like to learn more about binomial names of plants? Check out this free database online: The World Flora Online. This is an online flora of ALL known plants and as of June 2023, it contains the names of more than 381,000 species accompanied by more than 57,000 images!
The Takeaway
Scientific names may seem intimidating at first, but once you understand how they help us place organisms in the tree of life, you’ll soon find them to be incredibly helpful!
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.