{"id":24,"date":"2019-12-17T22:01:29","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T03:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/plantidentification\/chapter\/introduction-to-taxons\/"},"modified":"2020-09-15T15:29:10","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T19:29:10","slug":"introduction-to-taxons","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/plantidentification\/chapter\/introduction-to-taxons\/","title":{"raw":"Introduction to Taxons","rendered":"Introduction to Taxons"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n

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  • Identify characteristics of taxons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe plant family taxon is a grouping of plants consisting of one or more related genera that are more like each other than to other genera, and that includes the entire surviving lineage of the ancestral population. Family names always end with the suffix -aceae, except in a few notable cases where use of traditional names is also acceptable. Newer family names are based on the \u201ctype-genus\u201d concept which means that for every family there is a genus that best represents the characteristics of the family. For example, <\/span>Brassica<\/em> (the cabbage genus) is the base for the family Brassicaceae, as is Rosa<\/em> (the rose genus) for the family Rosaceae.<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\nOlder family names are still used since many are somewhat descriptive and may be more familiar than their newer counterparts. For example, Cruciferae (from the Latin crucifer, a cross) refers to the four-petal arrangement of flowers characteristic of the mustard family. The revised family names for some familiar plant groups are listed in Table 3.1.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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    Table\u00a0 3.1:\u00a0 Revised family names<\/h3>\n<\/caption>\n

    Traditional Name<\/th>\nNew Name<\/th>\nCommon Name<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    Compositae<\/td>\nAsteraceae<\/td>\nAster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Cruciferae<\/td>\nBrassicaceae<\/td>\nMustard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Graminae<\/td>\nPoaceae<\/td>\nGrass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Labiatae<\/td>\nLamiaceae<\/td>\nMint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Umbelliferae<\/td>\nApiaceae<\/td>\nCarrot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nBecause of new discoveries and technological advancements for determining plant genetics and other markers, some genera and family names have been reclassified under new names, as shown in Table 3.2. Updates to\u00a0 plant information publications and online resources takes time and overlaps in established and reclassified family names can be expected.\n\n\n\n\n\n
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    Table 3.2:\u00a0 Reclassified family names<\/h3>\n<\/caption>\n

    Family Name<\/th>\nReclassified Name<\/th>\nCommon Name<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
    Aceraceae<\/td>\nSapindaceae<\/td>\nSoapberry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Asclepiadaceae<\/td>\nApocynaceae<\/td>\nDogbane<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Taxodiaceae<\/td>\nCupressaceae<\/td>\nCypress<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Taxonomic Example<\/h2>\nThe list of ten Pacific Northwest native conifers can be grouped into three families.\u00a0 Within each family, there are a different number of genera, as represented by the common names. Within each genus, unless a monospecific (single) genus as with Taxus<\/em> and Pseudotsuga,<\/em> there are a number of different species.\n

    Pinaceae \u2013 pine family<\/h3>\nDouglas fir (<\/span>Pseudotsuga<\/em>, 1 species)<\/span>\n
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    \n\nhemlock (Tsuga<\/em>, 2 species)\n\nlarch (Larix<\/em>, 3 species)\n\ntrue fir (Abies<\/em>, 3 species)\n\nspruce (Picea<\/em>, 4 species)\n\npine (Pinus<\/em>, 7 species)\n

    Cupressaceae \u2013 cypress family<\/h3>\narborvitae (Thuja<\/em>, 1 species)\n\nyellow cedar (Cupressus<\/em>, 1 species)\n\njuniper (Juniperus<\/em>, 3 species)\n

    Taxaceae \u2013 yew family<\/h3>\n<\/div>\nyew (Taxus<\/em>, 1 species)\n

    Review<\/h2>\n[h5p id=\"3\"]\n\n[h5p id=\"4\"]\n\n[h5p id=\"5\"]\n\n<\/div>","rendered":"
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    Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

    \n
      \n
    • Identify characteristics of taxons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      The plant family taxon is a grouping of plants consisting of one or more related genera that are more like each other than to other genera, and that includes the entire surviving lineage of the ancestral population. Family names always end with the suffix -aceae, except in a few notable cases where use of traditional names is also acceptable. Newer family names are based on the \u201ctype-genus\u201d concept which means that for every family there is a genus that best represents the characteristics of the family. For example, <\/span>Brassica<\/em> (the cabbage genus) is the base for the family Brassicaceae, as is Rosa<\/em> (the rose genus) for the family Rosaceae.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      Older family names are still used since many are somewhat descriptive and may be more familiar than their newer counterparts. For example, Cruciferae (from the Latin crucifer, a cross) refers to the four-petal arrangement of flowers characteristic of the mustard family. The revised family names for some familiar plant groups are listed in Table 3.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \n<\/caption>\n
      Traditional Name<\/th>\nNew Name<\/th>\nCommon Name<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Compositae<\/td>\nAsteraceae<\/td>\nAster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Cruciferae<\/td>\nBrassicaceae<\/td>\nMustard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Graminae<\/td>\nPoaceae<\/td>\nGrass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Labiatae<\/td>\nLamiaceae<\/td>\nMint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Umbelliferae<\/td>\nApiaceae<\/td>\nCarrot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Because of new discoveries and technological advancements for determining plant genetics and other markers, some genera and family names have been reclassified under new names, as shown in Table 3.2. Updates to\u00a0 plant information publications and online resources takes time and overlaps in established and reclassified family names can be expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      \n<\/caption>\n
      Family Name<\/th>\nReclassified Name<\/th>\nCommon Name<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
      Aceraceae<\/td>\nSapindaceae<\/td>\nSoapberry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Asclepiadaceae<\/td>\nApocynaceae<\/td>\nDogbane<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Taxodiaceae<\/td>\nCupressaceae<\/td>\nCypress<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Taxonomic Example<\/h2>\n

      The list of ten Pacific Northwest native conifers can be grouped into three families.\u00a0 Within each family, there are a different number of genera, as represented by the common names. Within each genus, unless a monospecific (single) genus as with Taxus<\/em> and Pseudotsuga,<\/em> there are a number of different species.<\/p>\n

      Pinaceae \u2013 pine family<\/h3>\n

      Douglas fir (<\/span>Pseudotsuga<\/em>, 1 species)<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
      \n

      hemlock (Tsuga<\/em>, 2 species)<\/p>\n

      larch (Larix<\/em>, 3 species)<\/p>\n

      true fir (Abies<\/em>, 3 species)<\/p>\n

      spruce (Picea<\/em>, 4 species)<\/p>\n

      pine (Pinus<\/em>, 7 species)<\/p>\n

      Cupressaceae \u2013 cypress family<\/h3>\n

      arborvitae (Thuja<\/em>, 1 species)<\/p>\n

      yellow cedar (Cupressus<\/em>, 1 species)<\/p>\n

      juniper (Juniperus<\/em>, 3 species)<\/p>\n

      Taxaceae \u2013 yew family<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

      yew (Taxus<\/em>, 1 species)<\/p>\n

      Review<\/h2>\n
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