Supplemental Activity 02

Nomenclature
1. Correct the following or point out what is wrong (there can be more than one error per line):

● amaranthus Albus (note: "albus" is a Latin adjective that means "white”)

Amaranthus albus. The genus should be capitalized while the specific epithet is in lower
case. Both also need to be italicized or underlined.

● Rosa carolina villosa

Rosa carolina var. villosa. The rank for “villosa” needs to be indicated. The genus,
specific epithet and variation name is also italicized or underlined.

● Cornus florida cloud nine

Cornus florida 'Cloud Nine'. As “cloud nine” is not written in Latin but in English it is a
cultivar name. Cultivar names are indicated through single quotations or cv. The genus
and specific epithet are italicized/underlined. The cultivar name is capitalized.

● Rosa carolina fragrans, foliis medio tenus serratis

Rosa carolina subsp. fragrans var. foliis f. medio. It is a polynomial name which is
invalid. To make it a valid plant name the ranks after the specific epithet should also be
written.

● Viola x bernardii
Viola x bernardii. This plant is an interspecific hybrid. The “x” should not be italicized
nor underlined.

● Malus baccata var. 'Gracilis'

Malus baccata var. gracilis. “Var.” should not be italicized/underlined. The single
quotation marks on "Gracilis" should be removed and it shouldn’t be capitalized. Gracilis
should be either italicized/underlined.

● Tilia cordata cv. greenspire

Tilia cordata cv. Greenspire The cultivar name is capitalized.

● Amaranthus spinosus Linnaeus

Amaranthus spinosus Linnaeus. The authority name shouldn’t be italicized/underlined.

● Malus baccata mandschurica

Malus baccata var. mandschurica. Names after the specific epithet should be indicated.
 ● Phlox var. amplexicaulis
Phlox amplexicaulis. Varieties are always under a species. The genus and specific epithet
is always italicized/underlined.

● Quercus alba x Q. macrocarpa = Q. x bebbiana

Quercus x bebbiana. It is a hybrid. The genus and specific epithet is always
italicized/underlined but the “x” shouldn’t.

● Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst

Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst'. “Sunburst” is a cultivar name. The genus and specific
epithet is always italicized/underlined.

2. The scientific name of a species is Magnolia grandiflora Linnaeus.

● The word "Magnolia" is the genus

● The word "grandiflora" is the specific epithet
● The word "Linnaeus" is the authority

3. True or false:

● Magnoliaceae is the name of an order False. Magnoliaceae is a family.

● Liliopsida is the name of a division False. Liliopsida is a class.
● The plural of "genus" is "genera" True.
● The singular of "species" is "specie" False. In biology the term specie s not used.
● The pronunciation of Aloe (as the name of a genus) is al-o False. The Latin vocabulary
doesn’t have silent last letters.

4. Apple 'Macintosh' is the name of a computer as well as the common name of a cultivar of
apples that we often eat. All apples belong to the genus Malus and the specific epithet of the
cultivated apple is pumila. So, what is the scientific name of the Macintosh apple?

Malus pumila 'Macintosh'.

5. The name of the genus for a group of plants we commonly call "redbuds" is Cercis. It belongs
to the family Fabaceae. Linnaeus gave the specific epithet of canadensis to the native redbud that
occurs here in Illinois. What is the complete scientific name of this species?

Cercis canadensis Linnaeus

6. Most redbud trees belonging to the species in question 5 have green leaves. However, some
trees in cultivation have leaves that are purple throughout the growing season, and these are
given the cultivar name of 'Forest Pansy.' Write out the two correct ways of the scientific name
of this cultivar.

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' or Cercis canadensis cv. Forest Pansy

7. Most redbud trees have dark pink/mauve flowers. In Missouri, a few trees occur in the wild
that have white flowers; this color form has been propagated and the plants are also in
cultivation. Alfred Rehder described these white-flowered plants as a botanical form, using the
epithet of alba. What is the complete scientific name of the white-flowered redbud?

Cercis canadensis forma alba or Cercis canadensis Linnaeus forma alba Rehder

8. Species often get described more than one time. All of the following names are synonyms; that
is they all refer to what we consider today to be the same species. What is the correct name for
the following species of Rosa?

● R. intermedia Carrière, 1868

● R. multiflora Thunberg, 1784
● R. polyantha Siebold & Zuccarini, 1843
● R. thrysiflora Déséglise, 1876
● R. thunbergii Trattinnick, 1823

R. multiflora Thunberg, 1784 is the correct name.

9. The genus Rosa belongs to a family and order that are based on the stem of the genus (Ros–).
It is also a dicot and a flowering plant. Write out a hierarchial classification for this situation,
using proper endings (suffixes). Then add the species Rosa carolina to the hierarchy.

Magnoliophyta

Magnoliopsida

Rosales

Rosaceae

Rosa carolina