Plant Names Follow the Same Rules as Animals
Understanding Plant Nomenclature
The Basics of Plant Naming
The naming of plants follows the same principles and rules as the naming of animals and other organisms. Each plant species has a unique scientific name that consists of two parts: the genus name and the specific epithet.
Genus and Specific Epithet
The genus name is like the last name of a person, and it identifies the group to which the plant belongs. The specific epithet is like the first name, and it distinguishes one species from another within the same genus. For example, the scientific name of the common dandelion is Taraxacum officinale, where Taraxacum is the genus name and officinale is the specific epithet.
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