Plant Classification

💬

 

INTRODUCTION TO PLANT CLASSIFICATION

Classifying unknown plants as identical with or similar to plants within a particular taxonomic group involves observation and comparison. The ability to accurately distinguish and categorize the similarities and subtle differences among plant species relies on at least three interrelated skills: pattern recognition, description, and classification.

Pattern recognition includes awareness of visual indicators such as shape, size, habit, etc. as well as other sensory input such as smell, touch, sound, etc. Much pattern recognition depends upon our ability to describe what is perceived. Frequently, people don’t remember those things they can’t describe in words. In contrast, those things, which are related to other more familiar things, are more easily recalled: for example, “it feels like velvet,” “it smells of lemons,” or “it appears to be bigger than a breadbox”.

Descriptions allow people to identify and catalog those patterns. “Striped,” “spotted,” “rough” and “smooth” are simple descriptors. It is not difficult to remember such patterns. Other, more complex descriptors are needed for characterizing complex organisms. The “trick” is in recognizing the patterns that indicate important relationships. There is a significant amount of vocabulary involved in describing plants, and the student of plant identification must learn to apply both plant morphology (the study of shape) and the descriptive terminology.

Classification is an effective method for organizing data. People naturally classify things according to various categories. Based on their usefulness, some plants may be considered more desirable than others. For example, plants considered to be undesirable for health or economic reasons are often categorized as weeds. Additional categories used for plant classification include their utility (medicinal plants), cultural tolerances (house plants), growth form (trees), leaf shape (needle vs. broad leaves), their assumed evolutionary relationships and genetic sequences (phylogenetics), among others.

 Plant classification is the systematic organization of plants into hierarchical groups based on shared characteristics. The classification system of plants is called taxonomy, and it helps scientists understand the diversity of plant life on Earth. The primary levels of plant classification are kingdom, division (or phylum), class, order, family, genus, and species. Here's an overview of each level:

1. Kingdom: The highest level of classification. Plants belong to the kingdom Plantae, which includes all multicellular, photosynthetic organisms.

2. Division (Phylum): Within the kingdom Plantae, plants are divided into several major groups based on their structural and reproductive characteristics. For example, flowering plants belong to the division Magnoliophyta (Angiosperms), while non-flowering plants like ferns belong to the division Pteridophyta.

3. Class: Each division is further divided into classes based on more specific characteristics. For instance, within the division Magnoliophyta, there are classes such as Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) and Liliopsida (monocotyledons).

4. Order: Classes are divided into orders. Orders represent groups of plants that share common features beyond those used for defining classes.

5. Family: Orders are further divided into families, which consist of closely related plants that share more specific characteristics.

6. Genus: Families are composed of genera (plural of genus), which are groups of plants closely related to each other. Genera share even more specific characteristics.

7. Species: Each genus contains one or more species, which are groups of plants that are very similar to each other and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

In addition to these main levels, there are also sublevels used for further classification, such as subfamily, tribe, subgenus, and variety.

Taxonomic classification is not static and can change as new information becomes available through scientific research and advancements in technology. Taxonomists use various criteria, including morphology, anatomy, genetics, and evolutionary relationships, to classify plants into appropriate groups. The goal of plant classification is to organize the vast diversity of plant life into a systematic framework that reflects their evolutionary history and relationships.