This is Unit 1 lesson 1, INTRODUCTION TO PLANT TAXONOMY Follow my you tube video for further details https://youtu.be/c-d7sxOHHKA

1. sujanapapani@gami.com27 July 2020
1Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

2. Roap map
• Brief introduction and
necessity
• Types of Taxonomy
• Taxonomical Hierarchy
• Systematics
• Systematics Vs Taxonomy
• Basic components of
Taxonomy 27 July 2020
2
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

3. What isTaxonomy ?
Why do we have to study this ?
27 July 2020
3Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

4. What is Taxonomy
 Taxonomy which is probably the oldest of
Sciences- is the science of Identifying,
naming, describing and classifying plants
 It is the system of classification including
principals, rules and procedures.
 Its general purpose is to arrange plants in such
a way as to provide the information in the
retrieval system that is the name and the rank
for positional and order hierarchy which tells
us something about the plant
27 July 2020
4
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

5. What is Taxonomy
 The term Taxonomy was first coined in the
year 1813 by A P de candolle in his book “
Theorie Elementaire de la Botanique”, which
meant that theory of plant classification but
later this term became more inclusive.
 At present it includes, identification of plants
their nomenclature and classification.
 Taxonomy means ‘Lawful arrangement of
objects into groups’ , derived from two Greek
words
Taxis means arrangement;
27 July 2020
5

6. Why is Taxonomy necessary to study
 Plants have a great significance and
unmatched impact on our life.
 Most of our needs such as food, fodder and
medicinal raw materials are fulfilled by plants.
 Weather plants are ‘harmful or beneficial’, is
intimately associated with our daily lives. Thus,
it becomes necessary to have an orderly and
scientific approach to study the plants.
 This system of classification of plants is called
Taxonomy
27 July 2020
6
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

7. Why is Taxonomy necessary to study
27 July 2020
7
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

8. Theophrastus 370-285 B.C.
 He was a Greek philosopher and
naturalist and is often called the
"Father of Botany."
 He was a pupil of Aristotle and
was the first person to publish a
classification of plants in the book
‘ Historia plantarum.
 Classified plants based on form
Herbs, shrubs, trees
Annuals, perennials, biennials
27 July 2020
8
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

9. Carolus Linnaeus 1707-
1778
 Linnaeus was the first person to
propose an orderly system for
classifying organisms.
 He developed the Binomial System of
Naming Plants in 1753
 Bi= 2
 Nomial= name
 All plants have a scientific name
composed of two Latin words known
as a genus and specie
 His system is still used today and his
called the Father of Taxonomy! 27 July 2020
9
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

11. Types of Taxonomy
Classical or Orthodox or Alpha Taxonomy.
Prior to evolution theory of Darwin,
relationships of plants were expressed
as natural affinities on the basis of
overall similarity in morphological
features.
27 July 2020
11
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

12. Types of Taxonomy
Omega Taxonomy or
Biosystematics.
This type of approach
which polls up the
information from various
sources and builds up
phenetic relationship
among groups for better
classification
27 July 2020
12
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

13. TAXONOMICAL HIERARCHY
• A group of plants unique in several respects
is assigned to a species.
• This species are grouped into genera,
genera into family, families in to Orders and
the process continues till the all species have
been arranged on the single largest and
most inclusive groups i.e plant Kingdom.
• This is known as Taxonomic hierarchy.
27 July 2020
13
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

14. TAXONOMICAL HIERARCHY
Kingdom: Kingdom is the related division or
phylum
Division/Phylum:Division/Phylum is related classes
Class: Class or the closely related orders.
Order: Order is the closely related families.
Family: Family is the closely related genera.
Genus: Genus are the closely related species.
Species: The lowest major group representing
plants and animals 27 July 2020
14
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

15. TAXONOMICAL HIERARCHY
• Each level of the hierarchy is called rank or
category (family ,genus, species etc).
• A Taxonomic group of any rank is called
Taxon (plural Taxa).
• The word Taxon was first used by a German
biologist Adolf Mayer in 1926 for animal
groups,
• later in 1948, Hermann J lam proposed to
plant systems.
• The basic/ fundamental unit of this
classification hierarchy is the species
Carrolus van linnaeus was first plant scientist to
adopt the Hierarchy system of Taxonomic
classification in 1753.
27 July 2020
15
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

16. Systematics
• Systematics was derived from a latin word
Sistema, means organised
• Systematics term was appeared first in the
famous Work of Carolus Linnaeus
Systema Naturae (1737).
• However, Huxley (1888) is often credited to
have made the first use of the term in his
article on the Systematics of birds.
27 July 2020
16
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

17. Systematics
Systematics is defined as the
“Study of diversity and the history of
organism and the evolutionary
relationships between them”.
In short,
we can say the science of organisational
diversity is Systematics
27 July 2020
17
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

18. Systematics Vs Taxonomy
Taxonomy refers specially to the methods and principles of
classification (including naming and description).
Systematics is used in the broader sense which include,
1. Taxonomy (nomenclature, description, identification and
classification).
2. Studies of evolutionary process (such as hybridization
sources of variability, degree of variation in population,
reproductive isolation, Origin of Species etc,)
3. Studies of phylogeny (the evolutionary relationships
between group) systematics in other words we use to
understand the evolutionary history of life on the earth
27 July 2020
18
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

19. Fundamentals of Taxonomy
Three major basic components of
Taxonomy are,
1. Identification
2. Nomenclature
3. Classification
NOMENCLATUR
E
TAXONOM
Y
CLASSIFICATI
ON
IDENTIFICATION
27 July 2020
19
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

20. • Determination of an unknown plant species.
Identification of a Taxon, is an is a prerequisite for
any study based on it.
• It is the determination of Taxon based on overall
similarities and dissimilarities with other Taxa.
• By comparing the characters of the representative
specimen of a given Taxon
Directly - Authentic herbarium specimen
Indirectly - description illustrations etc ,
from the FLORA literature,
mannuals,Monographs,Journals etc..
Modern days- Computer punch card keys
IDENTIFICATION
20

21. IDENTIFICATION
• Sometimes the specimen, may not agree or
compare with the existing predetermined
specimen.
• In such a case it is taken to be new to science.
• Royal Botanical Garden, Kew , England largest
herbarium reserve - international centre for plant
identification.
• Index kewensis- newly identified plants
description, information and nomenclature
• In India Botanical Survey of India helps in
identification of plants in the country.27 July 2020
21
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

22. NOMENCLATURE
• Once the Taxon has been identified, it
becomes necessary to give it a scientific
name.
• Nomenclature is the naming of a Taxon
correctly.
• It is necessary for proper communication and
identification of Taxa.
• International code of botanical nomenclature
(ICBN) through its rules and
recommendations framed by international
Botanical Congress held at regular intervals.27 July 2020
22
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

23. NOMENCLATURE
• New Name to Taxon is given following
Binomial Nomenclature
• Name should contain two words a should be
definitely in Latin language.
• In the name, the first word is generic epithet
and the second word is specific epithet.
Eg: Oriza sativa
Oriza – Genus
Sativa - Species
27 July 2020
23
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

24. CLASSIFICATION
• Studying plant characters organised manner and
place them into larger or smaller groups based on
the their similar similarities and differences.
• Then, arranged in a sequential manner into
categories according to their levels and each
category given a name following the rules of
nomenclature.
• For example similar plants are grouped under
species similar species under genus and so on.27 July 2020
24
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

25. CLASSIFICATION
• Classification is the arrangement of groups of
plants with particular characteristics by rank or
position according to certain criteria and placing
them within the Taxonomical hierarchy.
• It includes the determination of plant position or
rank for new Taxa as well as old Taxa, which has
been remodelled , divided, United, transferred or
altered in rank lineage.
27 July 2020
25
Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR

26. 27 July 2020Dr P. Sujana, PVKNGC(A),CTR
26