# plant taxonomy

> the study of relation between plant species and genera

**Wikidata**: [Q1138178](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1138178)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_taxonomy)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/plant-taxonomy

## Summary
Plant taxonomy is the study of the relationships between plant species and genera. It serves as a method of scientific taxonomy and is a branch of systematics, the broader study of relationships between organisms. This academic discipline encompasses the identification, description, classification, and naming of plants, including specialized sub-fields like cultivated plant taxonomy.

## Key Facts
- Also known by the aliases "plant classification" and "plant systematics."
- Defined as the study of the relation between plant species and genera.
- Classified as an academic discipline and a subclass of both systematics and biological classification.
- Includes the specific sub-discipline of cultivated plant taxonomy, which focuses on cultigens—plants modified by human activity.
- Related to the "Taxonomy of wheat," a specific classification of that crop.
- Associated with numerous classification systems, including the APG I, II, III, and IV systems, the Cronquist system, and the Engler system.
- Cross-referenced with extensive database identifiers, including Freebase ID (/m/0bcp6l), Library of Congress LCCN (000082565), and JSTOR topic ID (plant-taxonomy).
- Has a recorded Wikipedia sitelink count of 27.

## FAQs
**What is the primary focus of plant taxonomy?**
Plant taxonomy focuses on the study of relationships between plant species and genera. It involves the science of identifying, describing, classifying, and naming plants.

**How does plant taxonomy differ from general systematics?**
While systematics is the broader study of relationships between organisms, plant taxonomy is the specific application of this study to plants. It is considered a part of systematics and a method of biological classification.

**What are the major classification systems used in this field?**
The field utilizes various historical and modern systems, including the APG system (1998), APG II, APG III (2009), APG IV (2016), Cronquist, Bentham & Hooker, Engler, Takhtajan, Thorne, Wettstein, and Hutchinson systems.

**What is cultivated plant taxonomy?**
Cultivated plant taxonomy is a branch of the field dedicated to the theory and practice of identifying, describing, classifying, and naming cultigens. It specifically addresses plants whose origin or selection is primarily due to intentional human activity and is part of horticultural botany.

## Why It Matters
Plant taxonomy is fundamental to organizing biological diversity, providing a structured framework for scientists to categorize and reference plant life consistently. By defining the relationships between species and genera, it enables precise communication and research across the global scientific community. The discipline also supports agricultural and horticultural advancement through specialized branches like cultivated plant taxonomy, which formalizes the classification of plants developed through human selection.

## Notable For
- Encompassing a wide variety of classification schemes, ranging from the 19th-century Bentham & Hooker system to the modern, molecularly based APG IV system (2016).
- Involving a global network of botanists, including notable figures such as William Jackson Hooker, Nikolai Turczaninov, and members of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.
- Supporting the field through academic journals like the *Kew Bulletin*, which has been in publication since 1946.
- Integrating detailed identification systems across multiple scientific databases, reflecting its high interdisciplinary utility.

## Body

### Definition and Classification
Plant taxonomy is the scientific study dedicated to understanding the relationships between plant species and genera. It operates as a specialized branch of systematics, the broader discipline concerned with the study of relationships between organisms. As a method of biological classification, plant taxonomy is also recognized as an academic discipline. It is closely related to the taxonomy of specific plants, such as wheat, and includes distinct sub-fields like cultivated plant taxonomy. This sub-field focuses specifically on cultigens—plants whose origin or selection is primarily due to intentional human activity—and is considered a component of horticultural botany.

### Taxonomic Systems
The discipline of plant taxonomy is defined and structured by numerous classification systems developed over centuries. These systems provide the frameworks used to categorize plant life:

*   **APG Systems:** The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG), a group of systematists formed in 1998, produced several influential revisions. These include the original APG system (1998), the APG II system, the APG III system (second revision in 2009), and the APG IV system (third revision in 2016).
*   **Historical and Regional Systems:** Other significant schemes include the Takhtajan system, the Cronquist system, the Bentham & Hooker system, the Engler system, the Thorne system (inception 1992), the Wettstein system, the De Candolle system, the Melchior system, the Hutchinson system, the Kubitzki system, the Reveal system, and the PPG I system.

### Notable Botanists
The development and practice of plant taxonomy have been shaped by a diverse array of botanists and taxonomists from various nations and eras:

*   **Russian and Soviet Botanists:** Rudolf Kamelin (1938–2016), Moisey Kirpicznikov (1913–1995), Nikolai Turczaninov (1796–1864), Anna Kharadze (1905–1971), Andrey A. Fedorov (1908–1987), Yevgeni Bobrov (1902–1983), Nikolai Tzvelev (1925–2015), and Viktor Reverdatto (1891–1969).
*   **Hungarian Botanists:** Victor von Janka (1837–1890), Vera Csapody (1890–1985), Lajos von Simonkai (1851–1910), Erasmus Julius Nyárády (1881–1966), Gyula Gáyer (1883–1932), Sándor Jávorka (1883–1961), Vincze von Borbás (1844–1905), Sámuel Diószegi (1760–1813), János Tuzson (1870–1943), and Raymund Rapaics (1885–1954).
*   **British and American Botanists:** William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Richard Bateman, and Thomas Franklin Daniel.
*   **Other International Figures:** Kevin Thiele (Australian, born 1959), Lúcia Garcez Lohmann (Brazilian), Noris Salazar Allen (Panamanian), C. Livingstone, Gloria E. Barboza (Argentinian), Eugene Jablonszky (Hungaro-American, 1892–1975), Zoltán Szabó (1882–1944), Carl Constantin Haberle (German, 1764–1832), Wen Tsai Wang (Chinese, 1926–2022), and József Sadler (1791–1849).

### Academic and Data Context
Plant taxonomy is documented and referenced through extensive academic and data infrastructure. The *Kew Bulletin* is a notable journal associated with the field, with its inception dating to 1946 and published in the United Kingdom. The entity is cataloged in numerous knowledge bases and libraries, identified by specific IDs such as the Freebase ID (/m/0bcp6l), Library of Congress LCCN (000082565), ORCID work ID (34fa1744-3bd2-4cb5-843e-e2258e4cf1c3), and JSTOR topic ID (plant-taxonomy). It is also linked to identifiers like the NARA National Archives Catalog (19754209), Crossref ID (24412817), and MathSciNet ID (538856).

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. BBC Things
3. KBpedia
4. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)