A great diversity of species has developed on Earth throughout millions of years, and many previous efforts to categorize them have been undertaken. Small insects to large trees to vividly colourful flowers or birds are among the living forms surrounding us. The notion of biological categorization was proposed for ease of research and identification, but a basic foundation of classification became necessary for the relevant classification.
Taxonomy
The word “taxonomy” comes from two Greek words: “taxis,” which means “arrangement,” and “nomos,” which means “rules.” Plant taxonomy is the science of classifying plants as per a set of standards. A. P. de Candolle, a Swiss botanist, created the term taxonomy in his work “Théorie élémentaire de la botanique.”
Plant taxonomy is a field of botany that involves characterising, identifying, classifying, and nomenclature plants based on their similarities and variations.
The following are the objectives of plant taxonomy
- Identification: It is the process of determining the unknown species’ traits and comparing them to those of recognised species.
- Characterisation: It is the process of describing all the features of a newly discovered species.
- Classification: It is the process of grouping and organising known species into various groups or taxa based on their similarities and variations.
- Nomenclature: It is the process of assigning a scientific name based on a set of rules.
Organisms are classified into taxonomic groups, called taxonomical hierarchy, based on their similarities and distinguishing characteristics. The plants are also classified on a similar concept; it is known as the taxonomic hierarchy of plants. The following are the several taxonomic categories in their hierarchical order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. As one progresses from species to the kingdom, the proportion of shared traits diminishes, as species have basic commonalities and organisms in the very same kingdom share the fewest qualities.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
The series of categories in rising or descending order is referred to as taxonomic hierarchy. It is also known as the hierarchical taxonomic system of classification or hierarchical taxonomic system. The kingdom is at the top of the chain, whereas species are at the bottom. During the 18th century, Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus created the concept of the taxonomic hierarchy. To date, this classification system has been used all around the world.
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, categorized various creatures based on their habitat, traits, and other factors, as per the background of biological classification.
As a result, taxonomic hierarchy is the act of classifying organisms into multiple levels of biological classification in descending or ascending order, from kingdom to species and vice versa. The taxonomic category or rank refers to each of these hierarchical levels. This classification arrangement always lists the kingdom first, preceded by division, class, order, family, genus and species.
Taxonomic Hierarchy Categories
The basic taxonomic hierarchies in which various organisms are categorized are as follows:
- Kingdom: The kingdom is the top level of classification, with subcategories at other levels. Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista and Monera are the five kingdoms into which living beings are divided.
- Phylum: It’s the next classification category after the kingdom, but it is far more precise. The kingdom Animalia is divided into 35 phyla. Porifera, Chordata, Arthropoda, and so on are some examples.
- Class: Until phyla were developed, the class was the most generic position in the taxonomic system. There are 108 classes in the kingdom Animalia, comprising Mammalia, Reptilia, and others. However, today’s classifications differ from those provided by Linnaeus and are not often employed.
- Order: The rank of order is a little more definite than the rank of class. One or more similar families make up the order. Mammalia is made up of roughly 26 orders, including primates, Carnivora, and so on.
- Family: Several genera that have several characteristics are included in this taxonomic hierarchy group. Canidae, Ursidae, Felidae, and other families in the order Carnivora, for example.
- Genus: A genus is a collection of related species. Certain genera are monotypic, meaning they contain only one species, while others are polytypic, meaning they have several species. For example, the genus Panthera includes lions and tigers.
- Species: It is the taxonomic hierarchy’s lowest level. There are approximately 8.7 million different species on the earth. It describes a group of organisms with similar shapes, forms, and reproductive characteristics. Sub-species can be found within a species.
Conclusion
Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing, and classifying species and includes all plants, animals, and microbes. Classifying organisms into successive levels of biological classification, either in decreasing or increasing order, from kingdom to species and vice versa, is known as a taxonomic hierarchy. Plant elements, or taxa, should be organised more systematically to be better understood and used more quickly and effectively.