Binomial Nomenclature

Biological Information
Bill Barash has been employed at Planting Fields
Arboretum - State Historic Park since 1972 when the
arboretum became a state park, where he has been
responsible for labeling and identification of
plants, and is also the curator of the Italian Pool
Garden and manager of the Production
Greenhouses. His artistic designs have won numerous
outstanding awards from plant societies and the
arboretum's flower shows. He was president of the
Long Island Horticultural Society (the island's oldest
and largest plant society) from 1993-1996. Bill also
lectures on plant families, working with dried plant
material and instructs various horticultural workshops.
He enjoys conducting interpretive walks at the
arboretum (which include historical as well as
horticultural information) and woodland settings
around the island.

Bill Barash
516 922-8633
E-Mail:
Bluepoolgarden@aol.com

Where do aliens fit in
to all of this?

Our Microbes, Ourselves
Trillions of microbes live in us! In the
womb, a fetus enjoys the protection of a
sterile environment. Only when the
mother's amniotic sac ruptures before
delivery does her baby face microbes for
the first time. As he's squeezed through
the birth canal, he picks up millions of
bacteria from his mother. Most of the
microbes are friendly and quickly take up
residence on the baby's skin and in his
gastrointestinal tract. In the human there
are a hundred times as many microbial
genes as there are human genes!

And what behavior would they
observe about humans?

They’d see that we can be
quite obsessive about
organizing and collecting
things!

Our story really begins
with this man…….

I’ll take a pair of those shoes
in a size 8 please!

The Legacy of Linnaeus
Modern taxonomy was born in the notebooks
of Carl Linnaeus, 1707-78, who set out to
catalogue all the
plants and animals known in the mid-1700’s.
“Systema Plantarum,” describing about
7,300 plants, was
published in 1753, and “Systema
Naturae” describing about 4,200
animals five years later.

Linnaeu’s most lasting contribution
may have been his virtual invention
of a system of “binomial
nomenclature” that is still in use
today. With this system, each
organism is assigned a two-word
Latin or Latinish name to designate
its genus (as in Homo) and its
species (as in sapians)
wer

Genus Species
Common Name
Family
Location Accession#

Linnaeus and Pharmacy
Medical plants and Linnaeus
By profession Linnaeus wasn’t
really a botanist, but a physician.
Plants are important
The cradle of modern medicine is
the medicine of former times.
Medicinal plants
There are many plants that have
contributed to modern medicines:
We’ll see several examples…

Regarding plant names: Sometimes names
have been chosen for benefit of ego-
bearing a taxomonist’s Latinized name
(Wilsonia citrina for the hooded warbler).
Others involved more evocative or
descriptive whimsy: the grizzly bear is
Ursus horribilis and the skunk cabbage is
Symplocarpus foetidus. And then there is
the forest mushroom called Phallus
impudicus.

Pierre Magnol
(June 8, 1638 - May 21, 1715)
was a French botanist.
Question: What plant was
named after this man?
Here’s a little clue…..

Pierre Magnol
was also responsible
for creating plant familes!

The common name of a plant can
vary from region to region and
country to country while the botanic
name is the same throughout the
world-only the accent varies.

Welcome to the Arum
Family!
A R A C E A E

The Araceae is a large, mainly
tropical family, many members of
which contain bioactive substances
which are often either toxic or
irritating. Inflorescences frequently
emit strong fragrances. The active
compounds have not been
adequately determined nor is the
chemotaxonomy of the family very
well known, except for one major
study of flavonoids (any of a group of
aromatic compounds that includes
many common pigments (as the
anthocyanins).

Anthurium is a genus of more than 800 species
found in the New World tropics from Mexico to
northern Argentina and Uruguay; species are
also native to the West Indies. Even though the
genus is not native to the Hawaiian Islands, in
the minds of many people, Anthurium
andreanum is the Hawaiian flower. This species
is native to the wet forests on the western slopes
of the Andes

Flowers inconspicuous, on a club-
like spike (spadix), enfolded by a
modified leaf (spathe), usually in
moist, shady places.

Symplocarpus foetidus
Skunk Cabbage

Arisaema triphyllum
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Hardy species are often planted out
in partly shaded locations for their
curious spring blooms, handsome
summer foliage, and colorful fruits.

CALADIUM – MOTHER-IN-LAW
PLANT, ELEPHANT’S EAR, ANGEL-
WINGS

CALADIUM
Popular potted and bedding plants.
Tubers may be started in boxes of
peat or sphagnum at temps of 70-85
degrees F. When roots appear,
tubers should be potted in rich loam.
They may be planted directly
outdoors in well-worked soil.

Dieffenbachia
Through hybridization and natural
mutation, many fancy-leaved have
arisen in cultivation. Favorite plants
for greenhouses and interior
decoration.

Spathiphyllum is a genus of about 40
species in the family Araceae, native to
tropical regions of the America’s and
southeastern Asia. Certain species of
Spathiphyllum are commonly known as
spath or peace lilies.

Polypetalous:
having separate petals

Question: In what way is the lion
Associated with this photo?

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is derived from the Latin calens
meaning "the first day of each month," since it can bloom every
month of the year in mild regions. Another common name, pot
marigold, came from the fact that calendulas were often grown in
containers, and marygold -- the name early Christians gave it as it
bloomed at the time of all the festivals that celebrate the Virgin
Mary. Calendula's culinary roots date back to ancient Rome when
the use of saffron (the powdered stigmas of the exotic saffron
crocus, Crocus sativus) was a sign of wealth and power. The
common people couldn't afford to buy "pure gold," but they
discovered that powdered calendula petals were an excellent
culinary substitute. Hence, another common name -- poor man's
saffron -- as chopped calendula petals (fresh or dried) infuse food
with the same golden color and slightly acrid flavor as the
expensive saffron.

Tagettes – Marigold
Are of simple cultivation!

Dahlia – About 27 spp. of tender,
tuberous-rooted per. Herbs,
native to mountains of Mex.,
Cent. Amer., and Colombia

Echinaceae purpureae (herb).
Stimulates reproduction of immune
cells, enhances protective functions
of an organism. Stimulates
production of an interferon, has
antiviral activity.

Let’s discuss this
mystery plant family!

Rosaceae – Rose Family
Approx. 100 widely distributed
genera and 2,000 spp. Of herbs,
shrubs, and trees. Leaves are mostly
alternate, flowers: sepals and petals
4-5, stamens 5 to many.

PRUNUS:
Includes many desirable ornamentals as well as
the stone fruits – plumes, apricots, almonds,
peaches, nectarine, cherries. They are widely
cultivated for their fruits or nuts.

Malus: Apples are grown for fruit and
as ornamentals.The important fruit
trees of the cool temperate regions
are the various descendants of M.
pumila, the wild or original apple.

Kerria, Japanese Rose
Commonly planted as an ornamental, does
well in partial shade, and is hardy north.

Geraniol: is the main ingredient in a number of
essential oils found in Rosa centifolia (Cabbage
Rose), Rosa damascena (Damask Rose), and
other roses. Geraniol has a strong antisepetic
activity. With it’s sweet rose ordor, it is used in
perfumery and as an insect attractant in traps.

The plant is high in certain antioxidants. The fruit
is noted for its high vitamin C level and is used to
make syrup, tea and marmalade. It has been
grown or encouraged in the wild for the
production of vitamin C, from its fruit (often as
rose-hip syrup), especially during conditions of
scarcity or wartime. The species has also been
introduced to other temperate latitudes. During
World War II in the United States Rosa canina
was planted in victory gardens, and can still be
found growing throughout the United States,
including roadsides, and in wet, sandy areas up
and down coastlines. During the Vietnam War,
for soldiers fighting with the North, Rosa Canina
was dried and then smoked with tobacco to
produce mild hallucinogenic effects and
abnormal dreams. Rose hip soup is especially
popular in Sweden

Exochorda – Pearlbush
A few species of deciduous srubs,
native to Asia, leave alternate,
flowers white, 5 sepals, petals.
Pearlbushes are very ornamental.

Chaenomeles – Flowering Quince

The Language of Roses:
There are many associations made between the
flowers and the range of human emotions. The
"language" of flowers is thought to have
originated in Persia in the fifteenth century, and
was brought to Europe in the eighteenth. In the
nineteenth century, this "floral code" became
more elaborate, so that complex messages could
be sent between people in bouquets. With each
flower and color having a specific meaning,
conversations between courting couples could be
carried out over extended periods of time without
a single word being used. Specific to roses, the
colors can mean the following:

RedYellowPinkWhiteLavender
True Love, Respect, Courage
Romantic Love, I Love You,
Congratulations
Job Well Done, Joy, Gladness
Freedom, Friendship, I Care
Welcome Back, Remember Me
JealousyPerfect Happiness
Gentleness, Sweetness
Please Believe MeReverence
Purity, Innocence
Secrecy, I Am Worthy Of You
Keep A SecretEnchantment

Question: What plant family
shall we discuss next?

Glucosinolates are found in the mustard
family.They can be found in cabbage,
cauliflower, cress, mustard, rape and
turnup. Glucosinolates in plants do deter
predators.Mustard poultices are often
applied to break up congestion in the
lungs. Taken internally, the compounds
serve as decongestant for sinus
conditions and also stimulate
digestion.Mustard oils show some
antibiotic effects.

Cruciferaceae:
Crucifera – marked with a cross

Alyssum - Madwort
160 spp.of ann., bien., or per. Herbs
native to Eur. And Asia, with the
largest number in Turkey
A few are grown in rock
gardens and borders, in
open or sunny sites.

Lunaria – Honesty, Money Plant,
Moonwort, Satin Flower. The fruiting
stems are used in dry bouquets. Plants come
readily from seeds: partial shade is desirable.

Sage is derived from the Latin salvare,
meaning "to save." For centuries, sage
was reputed to have great curative and
healing properties. The old Latin proverb,
Cur moriatur homo, ciu calvia crescit in
horto?" ("Why should a man die while
sage grows in his garden?"), pays
homage to the high esteem in which the
herb was held.
Lamiaceae - Labiatae

Red Dead Nettle!
Evidence of red dead-nettle has been found
in Bronze Age deposits, and it seems likely
that this plant was introduced to Britain with
early agriculture. It is a hairy plant that
branches from the base. The leaves have
wavy to serrated edges and are attached to
the stem with a stalk. The flowers are
arranged in an inflorescence and are pinkish-
purple in color with a hooded upper lip. Red
dead-nettles are so-called as they do not
sting.

Coleus
DESCRIPTION
These plants are natives of Indonesia and
Africa.

Rosemary has been around for a long
time, and therefore has a long list of
claims regarding its medicinal uses,
including use as a tonic, a digestive aid, to
treat depression, headaches, and muscle
spasms, and as an expectorant, promoter
of menstrual flow, and stimulant for
production of bile. Externally, its oil made
into an ointment has been said to treat
rheumatism, sores, eczema, bruises, and
wounds. Rosemary taken internally as a
medicine can be an irritant to the
stomach, intestines, and kidneys, so use it
sparingly.

Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis)
Grows in Mediterranean
Region
Parts used: Leaves for
extracts,
Flowers for volatile oil
Active Constituents: essential
oils, rosmarinic acid,
phenolic acids, tannin
Cosmetic Uses: shampoo,
stimulates hair follicle,
dandruff
control, antioxidant,
antimicrobial

Rosemary
Ancient reputation for strengthening
the memory
•emblem of fidelity for
lovers
•used at weddings (wreath
worn by the bride) and also funerals
(cast on to the coffin when it had
been lowered into the grave)
•as incense in religious
ceremonies (old French name for it
was Incensier)
•in magical spells as a
safeguard from witches and evil
influences

Uses of Oregano-
Antiseptic
Cuticle Treatment
Gum Care
Canker and Cold Sores
Oregano oil (Oreganum vulgare)

Athlete’s Foot
Candidiasis
Canker and cold sores
Eczema
Psoriasis
Wounds
Oregano Uses
The ancient Greek’s
original name for this
plant, “oreganos”,
translates to
“delight of the
Mountains”.

About 29 genera and 600 spp.
Of trees or shrubs, in temp. or
trop regions of both
hemispheres. Grown mostly as
ornamentals and for shade, and
the olive for its edible fruit.
Oleaceae

Olive Leaf (Oleuro europa)
Grows in the
Mediterranean Region
Parts used: leaf
Active constituents:
oleuropein,
triterpenes, and flavonoids
such as rutin
Cosmetic Uses: anti-
inflammatory,
anti-microbial

Olive Leaf
Since the earliest of times, the Olive leaf
has been referenced as a mythological
symbol, as a nutritional food and as a
healing medicinal

The outstretched Olive branch is a well-known
sign of peace. In Genesis (8:11), Noah is told
of the nearness of land when a dove flew over
the arc with an Olive leaf in her mouth. The
Egyptians extolled the leaf as a symbol of
cosmic power.

Oleuropein
….a bitter compound that
affords the Olive tree a marked
resistance to insects, bacteria
and other parasites. Its use for
helping with human health
issues can also be found in older
medical literature. For instance,
The Pharmaceutical Journal
published an anti-malarial
recipe in 1854 made from Olive
leaves and wine.
Oleaceae

Forsythia –Golden Bells
Native to e. Asia. Their habit of
flowering early and profusely before
the leaves appear makes forsythias
some of the most useful of spring-
flowering shrubs.
Oleaceae

Syringa – Lilac
Lilacs are among the most popular
ornamental shrubs. They thrive in
fertile, moist soil. They are
propagated by seed and softwood
cuttings and by grafting onto
seedlings or privet.

LEGUMINOSAE, FABACEAE
Pea or Pulse Family: About 600 genera
and 12,000 species of sometimes spiny
herbs, shrubs, trees,vines of cosmopolitan
distribution: leaves mostly alt, usually
compounded. There are many species of
economic importance and the family is
(after the gramineae) the most important
source of food for man, but also supplies
field and forage plants, timber, fiber, dyes,
gums insecticides, flavoring and many
other products. It also includes a large
number of ornamentals.

History---It is probably of Egyptian or East
Mediterranean origin, and has been
cultivated since the days of the ancient
Egyptians. It is now very extensively used
in Italy and Sicily, for forage, for
ploughing-in to enrich the land, and for its
seeds.
Medicinal Action and Uses---The bruised
seeds of White Lupine, after soaking in
water, are sometimes used as an external
application to ulcers, etc., and internally
are said to be anthelmintic (expelling or
destroying parasitic worms especially of
the intestine), diuretic and emmenagogue
(an agent that promotes the menstrual
discharge).

In 1917 a 'Lupin' banquet was given in
Hamburg at a botanical gathering, at
which a German Professor, Dr. Thoms,
described the multifarious uses to which
the Lupin might be put. At a table covered
with a tablecloth of Lupin fibre, Lupin soup
was served; after the soup came Lupin
beefsteak, roasted in Lupin oil and
seasoned with Lupin extract, then bread
containing 20 per cent of Lupin, Lupin
margarine and cheese of Lupin albumen,
and finally Lupin liqueur and Lupin coffee.
Lupin soap served for washing the hands,
while Lupin-fibre paper and envelopes
with Lupin adhesive were available for
writing. The great value of the plant lies in
its capacity for growing luxuriantly on land
which is so light and sandy that hardly
anything else will thrive.

BAPTISIA – FALSE INDIGO, WILD
INDIGO
About 30-35 spp. Of per.herbs, native to
N. America

CERCIS – REDBUDS ARE PLANTED
FOR THEIR SHOWY EARLY FLOWERS.
ABOUT SEVEN SPP. OF DEICUIOUS,
SMALL TREES AND SHRUBS NATIVE
TO WARMER PARTS OF THE W.
HEMISPHERE

ERICACEAE
About 70 genera, and 1,900 species
of mostly shrubs, or occasionally
woody-based per. herbs or small
trees, widely distributed on acid
soils, mostly in temp. climates. The
family has man ornamental species
and some are the choicest broad-
leaved evergreens. Some, such as
the blueberry and cranberries, are
grown for the edible fruits.

Ericaceae - Heath, rhododendron; woody, often
shrubby; leaves alternate, evergreen or
deciduous; flowers urceolate pitcher
shaped like an urn) or campanulate (bell-
shaped); stamens distinct, often twice as many
as the petals, anthers opening by terminal pores.
All grow best in acidic, nutrient poor soils
and most species have mycorrhizal fungal
associations that fix nitrogen.

Leucothoe is a genus of about 45 species of
flowering plants in the family Ericaceae,
native to Asia, the Americas and Madagascar.

Some members of the Ericaceae
family are evergreen, such as
rhododendrons and bearberry.

Cranberries are one of the most
cultivated American species.
Beloved by Native Americans
and Pilgrims alike, the cranberry
is a favorite holiday ingredient

Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs with
slender, wiry stems, not thickly woody, and small
evergreen leaves. Vaccinium oxycoccus
(Common Cranberry) is widespread throughout
the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere,
including northern Eur. northern Asia & northern
N. Amer. Cranberries are a major commercial
crop in certain US states and Canadian
provinces. Most cranberries are processed into
products such as juice, sauce, and sweetened
dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh
to consumers. Cranberry Sauce is widely
regarded as an indispensable part of the
traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving
menu.

The name craneberry (an English
Name) evolved from the observation
that cranes often eat cranberries,
and some say the downward curves
of the vines look like a crane’s neck.

Cranberries were used by Native
Americans to make pemmican, (a
combination of dried meats with
cranberries). Benzoic acid is found
naturally in cranberries and is a food
preservative commonly used today.

In 1864 Ulysses S. Grant ordered
cranberry sauce to be served to
Union Troops on Thanksgiving Day
and so a tradition was started.

Cranberries tend to acidify urine since it contains
tannic and benzoic acid. In addition certain
polysaccharide (starch or sugar) called mannose
in cranberry juice inhibits the adherence of
bacteria to the epithelial cells lining the urinary
tract. The mannose from cranberries acts like a
decoy since it is abundant on the cell surface of
the human urinary tract epithelium

Ranunculaceae is a family
of flowering plants also
known as the "buttercup
family" or "crowfoot family".
The family name is derived
from the genus Ranunculus.

Delphinium is a genus of about 250
species of annual, biennial or perennial
flowering plants in the buttercup family
Ranunculaceae, native throughout the
Northern Hemisphere and also on the
high mountains of tropical Africa. The
common name,is Larkspur.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Goldenseal is a herbaceous perennial which
emerges in early spring (mid-March to early May)
from buds that overwinter on the perennial
rootstock. The root system is composed of a
bright yellow, horizontal rhizome, 1/2 to 3/4 of an
inch thick, marked by cup-like depressions where
the annual stem falls away. The rhizome is
covered with a mass of bright yellow fibrous roots
and rootlets. Mature plants (at least 3 years old)
are 6 to 14 inches tall and have two or more
erect hairy stems usually ending in a fork with
two leaves. The 5 to 7 lobed, palmate, double-
toothed leaves are 3 to 12 inches wide and 3 to 8
inches long. After emergence in spring, flower
buds quickly develop and small, inconspicuous,
white flowers open as the leaves unfold. Plants
started from seed usually flower when 3 to 4
years old whereas propagated rootstock may
flower the first year.

Each plant can produce a single, green
raspberry-like fruit which turns red and ripens in
July. Goldenseal spreads into the surrounding
area through growth of the rhizomes and fibrous
roots. Usually two buds form near the base of the
stem on the rhizome for the next season's
growth. The plant dies slowly after the fruit
matures, and it re-emerges the following spring.

Binomial Nomenclature

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Binomial Nomenclature