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BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE
SEM-IV
ROLL-91
DEPT. OF BOTANY
NARAJOLE RAJ COLLEGE
VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY
PRESENTED BY
SAIKAT JANA
Carl Linnaeus
23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778
1. The system of naming of a plant.
2. After determination of a new taxon
based on some important charecteristics
it becomes essential to give a scientific
name.
3. Father of nomenclature– Carl Linnaeus
4. With the help of this procedure, one can
communicate his discovery to the world.
● WHAT IS BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE
Scientific name is a universal name of
a plant or animal which is used uniformly
throughout the scientific world.
E.g.– Paddy is called different names
in different regions of India such as ‘Dhan’ in
West Bengal, ‘Dhana’ in Odisa, ‘Nellu’ in
Tamil Nadu etc. But the scientific name
Oryza sativa is uniformly used throughout the
scientific world.
● WHAT IS SCIENTIFIC NAME
Oryza sativa
● RULES OF NOMENCLATURE
1. RANKS OF TAXA
●The taxa indicate the taxonomic groups of
any rank.
●The rank of species is the basic unit and
the successive higher taxa are genus, family,
order, class,d division and kingdom
●Thus species included under a genus,
genus under a family, family under an order
and so on.
●The code also provides that the name of
each taxon of different rank should end with
specific manner.
TAXON SUFFIX
Division -phyta
Sub-division -icae
Class -opsida
Sub-class -idae
Order -ales
Sub-order -ineae
Family -aceae
Sub-family -oideae
Tribe -eae
Sub-tribe -ineae
2. RULES OF PRIORITY
• There are more than one name for the same
taxon.
• In this situation, the 1st validly published name
of a taxon becomes it’s valid name.
• Others names will be considered as synonyms.
• E.g.- Valid generic name– Mondo
i. The name Mondo was given by Adanson in
1763.
ii. The same plant was named as Ophipogon by
Kerk Gawl in 1807.
So the name Mondo was retained as valid
name and Ophiopogon is the synonym.
Mondo grass
3. NOMENCLATURAL TYPES
• Nomenclatural type is that
element to which the name of
a taxon is permanently
attached.
• It is an individual herbarium
specimen mounted on a sheet.
• If the specimen can’t be
preserved in dried format
should be recorded by
diagnostic drawing,
photographs and proper
description.
Some terms commonly used in the nomenclatural types–
A. HOLOTYPE
It is the one specimen or other element used or designed by the
author as the nomenclatural type.
B. ISOTYPE
It is a duplicate copy of the holotype. During collection, several
plants or branches of a plant are collected. At that time one is selected as
holotype and rest are considered as isotopes.
C. LECTOTYPE
Lectotype is a specimen or other element selected from the
original material to serve as nomenclatural type when no holotype was
designed at tha time of publication.
D. SYNTYPE
If the author does not select a single holotype from the
multiple collections and use all or more than one specimen, then
the specimens are called subtype.
E. NEOTYPE
When all original materials are missing, an other element
selected to serve as nomenclatural type. That is known as neotype.
F. PARATYPE
It is a specimen other than an isotype or a synotype cited
by author while describing a taxon.
4. EFFECTIVE AND VALID PUBLICATION
• Publication regarding new name of a plant with taxon is effective only
when the printed matter is distributed to the botanists or or atleast to
botanical institution with libraries accessible to botanists.
• The publication of name of new taxa is considered as valid only when
it will fulfil the following conditions–
i. Publication must be effective.
ii. It must be accompanied by a description of a taxon or by a
reference to a previously and effectively published description.
iii. It must be accompanied by a Latin diagnosis or reference
to a previously and effectively published Latin diagnosis.
5. REJECTION OF NAMES
A name is rejected due to misapplication or difference in
taxonomic judgement.
Some rules have been framed for the rejection of names. These
are–
i. SUPERFLUOUS NAME
The name which is given to a taxon when already some
name is present.
ii. HOMONYM
It is the same name given to other taxon.
iii. TAUTONYNS
The species name repeats exactly the generic name.
iv. NOMEN NUDUM
The names, those are published without any description.
● WHAT IS BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE
Binomial nomenclature is a
formal system of naming plants
and animals by giving each name
composed of two parts. First part
is the generic name and last part is
the specific part.
E.g.– Triticum aestivum
Here, Triticum is genus and
aestivum is the species.
Triticum aestivum
● RULES OF BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE
i. The name must be decide into two parts.
ii. 1st part always denotes the genus and 2nd part denotes the
species.
iii. Genus and sprecord are always underlined separately.
iv. Generic name always starts with capital letter and all others
in small letter.
v. Always add the author’s name with the scientific name.
E.g.– Oryza sativa L.
“L” indicates the name of Linnaeus.
● WHAT IS TRINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE
◆ Sometimes, a scientific name
consist of three parts which
indicates generic, specific and
sub-specific names.
◆ It was given by Lamarck.
◆ E.g.– Brassica oleracea capitata
(Cabbage)
Brassica oleracea capitata
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