Names

What's in a name? It is human nature to name things. We use names to communicate information and assign an identity to people and objects. For plants, fungi, and other organisms there are several kinds of names:

Taxon

(plural: taxa) is a general term meaning a group or rank, such as a species, a variety, a genus, a family, etc.Learn more

Scientific names

are official names that follow rules of taxonomy to uniquely identify a taxon, such as a species or family. Example: Ulmus americana and Ulmaceae.Learn more

Synonyms

are different names for the same taxon. Example: Ulmus floridana is a synonym of Ulmus americana.Learn more

Common names

are nicknames that vary between regions and languages. They follow no rules and often are not unique. Example: American elm.Learn more

Names

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Information provided on this page applies to the Chicago Region and may not be relevant or complete for other regions.

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Citation: The vPlants Project. vPlants: A Virtual Herbarium of the Chicago Region. http://www.vplants.org

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About Us vPlants Project Chicago Region vPlants Partnership Contact Us Credits Plants Chicago Plants Guide Glossary Biology Diversity Habitats Origin Distribution Names Collections Special Concern Resources Region Herbaria Documents References Links	Names Names What's in a name? It is human nature to name things. We use names to communicate information and assign an identity to people and objects. For plants, fungi, and other organisms there are several kinds of names: Taxon (plural: taxa) is a general term meaning a group or rank, such as a species, a variety, a genus, a family, etc.Learn more Scientific names are official names that follow rules of taxonomy to uniquely identify a taxon, such as a species or family. Example: Ulmus americana and Ulmaceae.Learn more Synonyms are different names for the same taxon. Example: Ulmus floridana is a synonym of Ulmus americana.Learn more Common names are nicknames that vary between regions and languages. They follow no rules and often are not unique. Example: American elm.Learn more Names Names Main Taxonomy Scientific names Synonyms Common names Related Web Sites International Code of Botanical Nomenclature International Code of Zoological Nomenclature Information provided on this page applies to the Chicago Region and may not be relevant or complete for other regions. Disclaimer
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