BOTANY Higher Secondary Second Year - Textbooks Online

a total variety or species. To conclude, biosystematic study in the
contemporary and modern taxonomy plays a vital role in separating and
solving some of the problems that may develop in the identification of
plants at the level of species. Biosystematist provides all the necessary data
in solving the real position of species that was in controversy.
1.1.2. Binomial nomenclature
The system of naming the plants on a scientific basis is known as
botanical nomenclature. Naming of the plants is useful in assigning their
identity and relationship. Before the middle of the eighteenth century, the
names of plants were commonly polynomials i.e. they were composed of
several words in series constituting more or less the description of the
plant. This can be illustrated with the example of Caryophyllum. The
name given was Caryophyllum saxatilis folis gramineus umbellatis corymbis
meaning Caryophyllum growing on rocks, having grass like leaves with
umbellate corymbose inflorescence.
Since lengthy names are difficult to remember and use, attempts were
made to shorten these names. Carolus Linnaeus suggested a system of
binomial nomenclature. Although the binomial system was introduced by
Gaspard Bauhin as early as 1623, it had properly been made use by
Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum.
In binomial nomenclature, every species is given a name of two
words. For example, the binomial nomenclature of mango tree is Mangifera
indica. Here the first word Mangifera refers to the genus and the second
word indica to the species. The two words in combination comprise the
name of the plant. Thus the binomial is a binary name. Hence, from the
days of Linnaeus, two different kinds of plants could not have the same
generic and specific names.
International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)
In 1930, the fifth International Botanical Congress was held at
Cambridge, England to frame rules and regulations for naming plants.
The twelfth meeting was held at Leningrad, USSR in July 1975. Based
on the resolutions of this meeting, the current system of International
Code of Botanical Nomenclature was adapted from 1978.
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