#225: What's in a name?

Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist who we have mentioned elsewhere on the blog  The binomial (i.e. two-name) naming system that we use today, invented by a Swedish botanist called  in the 18th century, gets around this confusion by giving each plant its own unique name. 

Linnaeus' system means that anyone, wherever they are in the world, and whatever language they speak, is able to identify a plant, and communicate that information to someone else and they will understand which plant is being discussed. 

Students (and teachers) will need to know the basics of how this system works.

If you know a little Latin you can also work out what some of the elements of the names mean.

Colour
alba/albus - white
caerulea/caeruleus - blue
coccinea/coccineus - scarlet
argentea - silver

Habitat
alpina/alpinus - alpine
campestris - field
maritima - coastal
montana - mountain
pratensis - meadow
sylvatica - forest

Characteristics
angustifolia - narrow leaves
fragans/fragrantissima - scented
foetida/foetidus - smelly (unpleasant)
grandiflora - large-flowered
nana - small, compact
odorata - perfumed
officinalis - has herbal uses
tomentosum - hairy, downy

Habit
columnaris - columnar
dentata - toothed
fruticosa - bushy
gracilis - slender
reptans - creeping
scandens - climbing

Country or area of origin
chinensis - China
japonica - Japan
sibiricus - Siberia
occidentalis - America
orientalis - Asia

And here's his own name:

There will need to be a lesson sequence which introduces students to the system, and the way that it works and then tests their understanding of key words by giving them some sample names and they need to describe what the plant / animal is / likely to look like.

If anyone has some existing CC licensed resources to share on this that would be of interest.