There are approximately 250 commercially important vegetable species, 318 fruit-bearing plant species of which 56 are grown, and over 10,000 flowering plant species. Plants are classified botanically based on characteristics like size, flowers, food reserves, and genetics. Horticultural classification is based on usefulness, grouping vegetables by culture method and fruits by growth habit. Ornamentals are classified by use as cut flowers, foliage, pot plants, or landscaping. Plantation crops are grouped by product as oils, fibers, beverages, spices, latexes or resins, and medicines.

1. CHAPTER 2
CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL HORTICULTURAL PLANTS
- There are approximately 250 kinds of vegetables, 41 of which are commercially important
- 318 species of fruit-bearing plants, with approximately 56 species now being grown by the farmers
- Close to 10,000 species of flowering plants
- And more than 2,000 plantation crops of which are commercially important
a.) Botanical System – The botanical systems belong to the science that deals with classification of plants, which is called
systematic botany or plant systematic. The modern method is called the phylogenetic system, in which plants are grouped
based on as many characters as possible such as size, shape, color, flower characteristics, kinds of food reserves, and
known genetic relationships, similar characteristics are taken as indication of such relationships.
Changes in Grouping or names follow the rules and recommendation laid out in the latest International Code of Botanical
Nomenclature (ICBN) as established by the Botanists fromall over the world.
Example:
Kingdom – Plantae
Division – Anthrophyta
Class – Magnoliopsida
Order – Sapindales
Family – Anacardiaceae
Genus – Mangifera
Species – indica
Variety – Carabao Mango.
Of interest to horticulturists are the categories from the Class downwards. According to Class, a plant can either be a monocot (Class
Liliopsida) or dicot (Class Magnoliopsida), depending on the number of cotyledons (seed leaf) or cotyledonary leaves.
A monocot has one cotyledon while a dicot has two cotyledons.
A dicot is usuaaly woody, a monocot is not.
In general, once the growing point of a monocot is cut, it will never grow
again as in the coconut, whereas if the growing point of a dicot is cut,
new and more growing points (buds) will take their place below the cut
portion. However, there are some orchids and grasses that have the
capacity to regenerate when cut. In addition, monocots cannot be
marcotted or grafted because they have no cambium (a tissue layer that
provides undifferentiated cells for plant growth), which is the layer of
actively dividing cells which give rise to new cell.
Table 2.1 Distinguishing Characteristics Of Monocot And Dicot
Characteristics Monocot Dicot
Leaf venation Veins are parallel to each other
Veins branch out from central vein or
midcein, forming a distinct network
Flower parts Usually in threes and fused at the based Usually in four or five
Root System
Fibrous, with or without taproot, often with
modified root
Has taproot
Vascular bundles Scattered through pithy tissues of stem In a single cylinder
Cambium No cambium Present.
b.) Horticultural Classification or Functional System – being based on some characteristics that would make the grouping
indicate usefulness for a specific purpose. The crop group as previously discussed is a functional systembased mainly in the
ultimate use of the plant. Within each group, however, it would be convenient to have groupings that would facilitate

2. discussions on the nature, culture, uses and growth habits. The list of criteria that could be used is long. The most useful
groupings are discussed here, although they are bound to change over the years as knowledge increases.
 Vegetables. Vegetable crops are classified according to similarities in the method of culture. In general, crops belonging to
one group have the same cultural requirements and problems; hence, the methods of culture are similar. (Table 2.1)
a.) Leafy vegetables – Crops grown mainly for their leaves. (e.g. pechay, mustard, lettuce, celery, kangkong, kulitis, and
alugbati)
b.) Cole crops or crucifiers – Crops that belong to the crucifier family. Specially cabbage, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage.
c.) Root and bulb crops – Crops with swollen underground stems or roots (e.g. sweet potato, onion, garlic, carrot, radish,
potato, and ginger)
d.) Legumes or pulses – Crops belonging to the legume family (e.g. bush sitao, cowpea, snapbean, winged bean, hyacinth
bean, lima bean, pigeon pea, chickpea, and edible-podded pea)
e.) Solanaceous crops – Crops belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) whose economically useful parts are the
fruits, specially: tomato, eggplant, and pepper.
f.) Cucurbits – Crops belong to the cucurbit family (e.g. squash, cucumber, water melon, muskmelon, ampalaya, upo,
patola, and chayote)
g.) Tree vegetables – (e.g. malunggay and katuray)
h.) Other Crops – (e.g. sweet corn, okra and asparagus)
 Fruit Crops. It is convenient to classify fruit crops into tree fruit, nut fruit, and small fruit, depending mainly on the growth
habit of the plant and which they are borne.
a.) Tree fruits – Fruits borne on trees. Majority of the crops belong to this category. (e.g. mango, lanzones, durian, and
rambutan)
b.) Nut fruits – Fruits borne on trees but which are enclosed by a stony structure. (e.g. cashew, pili, and talisay)
c.) Small fruits – Fruits not borne on trees. (e.g. strawberry, pineapple, passion fruit, and grapes)
 Ornamentals. Ornamentals can be classified according to their special use. The following classification is based on the
specific plant part aesthetically valued on the form in which the plants are maintained or marketed
a.) Cut flowers or florist crops – Plants grown for their flowers. (e.g. gladiolus, rose, daisy, calla lily, carnation, sampaguita,
orchid, heliconia, and bird of paradise)
b.) Cut foliage or florist greens – A plant whose foliage provides background in floral arrangement. (e.g. fern, dracaena,
palm, cycas, kamuning, and asparagus)
c.) Flowering pot plants – Plants grown in containers for their beautiful flowers, usually used for display purposes. (e.g.
chrysanthemum, poinsettia, kalanchoe, santan, mussaenda, and bougainvillea)
d.) Landscape plants – These are plants used for landscaping purposes. Almost all the ornamentals fall under this category.
e.) Foliage plants – Plants grown for their attractive foliage. Most of these plants can tolerate low light intensities since they
have no demanding inflorescence to support. They are used as indoor plants by which termthey are sometimes referred
to. (e.g. begonia, philodendron, aglaonema, raphis, reed palm, and parlor palm)
f.) Turf – Grasses used for lawns or greens (grass for golf). They rightfully fall under landscape plants (e.g. Manila grass)
 Plantation crops – These are also classified according to their useful components. They may have different cultural practices,
but their principal products can be substituted for one another.
a.) Oil crops – These are grown for their oil content. (e.g. coconut, African oil palm, lumbang, and castor)
b.) Fiber crops – These are grown for their fibers which are used for textiles, cordage, pulp, paper twines, sacks, bags, mats,
decors. (e.g. abaca, buri, sisal, maguey, cabo negro, and kapok)
c.) Beverage crops – Crops used for brewing non-alcoholic drinks. (e.g. coffee, cacao, and tea)
d.) Spices, condiments, and essences – These are used to provide special flavors, scents,and colors to food, perfumes, soaps,
and body dressing (sprays, splashes, and rubbing ointments). (e.g.) black pepper, vanilla citronella, cinnamo n, turmeric,
and patchouli.
e.) Latexes and resins – These are crops where products of the sap (latex) tapped from the bark of fruit peel are obtained.
Example: rubber. (The others are chico, pili, rimas, and papaya, which are classified under fruit crops.)
f.) Medicinal and botanical pesticides – These are crops with curative, laxative or pesticidal properties. (e.g. bunga, lagundi,
and neem.)
Botanical Classification of Horticultural Crops
Family and Scientific Name English Name Local Name
Daucus Carota subsp. Sativus (Hoffm)
Arcang
Carrot
Karot (Phil) Wortel (Indo)
Carrot (Thai)
Brassica chinensis L. Pechay Petsay (Phil) Pakkwantung (Thai)
Allium Sativum L. Garlic Bawang (Phil) Bawang Putih (Indo)