Botanical Classification

Botanical Classification

Voronina M.V.

Botanical Classification

KINGDOM

TRIBE

DIVISION

GENUS

CLASS

SPECIES

ORDER

VARIETY

FAMILY

CULTIVAR

Botanical Classification

Plants are classified in several different ways. Plant classification has additional groupings that animal classification does not. Generally, only the genus and species are of importance to small scale cultivation. However, it is important to understand how plants are classified on all levels and how they relate to other plants. Plants are generally classified as follows.

KINGDOM

A kingdom is the highest rank of biological classification. All plants belong to the kingdom Plantae. The total number of kingdoms varies from between five and eight.

DIVISION

A division is the first major rank below the kingdom. The term "division" is not interchangeable with "phylum." "Division" refers to ranking in botany while "phylum" is for zoology." The kingdom Plantae has twelve recognized divisions. Divisions are generally based on morphological differences.

CLASS

Class follows the phylum and precedes the order. Classes are determined by professional taxonomists. There is often no consensus in the scientific community on which plants belong to which classes or what group constitutes a biological class.

ORDER

An order follows superorder and precedes suborder.

FAMILY

A family follows the superfamily and precedes subfamily.

TRIBE

The tribe follows the supertribe and precedes the subtribe.

GENUS

The genus follows the subtribe and precedes the species name. The genus is the first part of the binomial name.

SPECIES

The species follows the superspecies and precedes the subspecies. The species name is the second part of the binomial name.

VARIETY

The variety follows infraspecies and precedes the form. This grouping is only used for botanical classifications. All varieties have a three part name.

CULTIVAR

The cultivar follows the form and is the lowest rank. This grouping is only used for botanical classifications. All cultivars have a three part name.

A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula (/ˈbɛtjʊlə/), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams.

It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae.

The genus Betula contains 30 to 60 known taxa of which 11 are on the IUCN 2011 Green List of Threatened Species.

They are a typically rather short-lived pioneer species widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of temperate climates and in boreal climates.

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Betula L.

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A. alba

Abies alba

Abies alba is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40–50 m (130–160 ft) (exceptionally 60 m (200 ft)) tall and with a trunk diameter up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).

The largest measured tree was 60 m tall and had a trunk diameter of 3.8 m (12 ft). It occurs at altitudes of 300–1,700 m (980–5,580 ft) (mainly over 500 m (1,600 ft)), on mountains with rainfall over 1,000 millimetres (39 in) per year.