Botanical name

A botanical name is a special scientific name that follows strict rules. These rules make sure every plant has one name that scientists and gardeners can use all over the world.

For example, the botanical name Bellis perennis is a plant that grows in many parts of Europe and the Middle East. People may call this plant different names, like "daisy" or "English daisy." But the botanical name is always the same.

Botanical names also have special labels for garden varieties, called cultivars. One example is Bellis perennis 'Aucubifolia', a pretty golden-edged form of the common daisy grown in gardens. These names help plant lovers and scientists know exactly which plant they are talking about.

Type specimens and circumscription

A botanical name is linked to a special example called a type. This type can be one plant or a group of plants. It helps scientists agree on what the name means.

Sometimes, the group a botanical name refers to can change. Different scientists might include more or fewer plants in a group. For example, some scientists now include more plants in the group Malvaceae than before. Some names, like Equisetaceae and Magnoliaceae, stay the same, but others, like Fabaceae, need careful checking to know which plants they include.

Forms of plant names

Botanical names can have different numbers of parts. Names for big groups of plants, like plant classes or families, have just one part. Names for species or special types usually have two parts — the genus name and another word called an epithet. For example, Berberis thunbergii is the name for a type of barberry plant.

Sometimes, names can have three parts, for subspecies or special groups. For example, Calystegia sepium subsp. americana is a type of bindweed plant. Names for plants grown by people for special traits can have even more parts, up to four in some cases. These names help scientists and gardeners talk about exactly which plant they mean.

Components of plant names

A botanical name can have three parts. For example, an infraspecific name needs a "connecting term" to show its rank. In plants, there are many ranks below the species level.

Botanical names are usually written in italics. For a species, the name has two parts: the genus name and a specific epithet.

For cultivated plants, there can be an extra part called a cultivar. It is usually put in single quotation marks. The cultivar, Group, or grex name can follow the plant's scientific name or common name.