Taxonomical Hierarchy
TAXONOMICAL HIERARCHY
Classification is not a single step process but involves hierarchy of steps in which each step represents a rank or category since the category is a part of overall taxonomic arrangement, it is called the taxonomic category and all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy. Each category referred to as a unit of classification, infact, represents a rank and is commonly termed as taxon (Pl.....taxa).
Species : Taxonomic studies consider a group of individual oragnism with fundamental similarities as a species. One should be able to distinguish one species from the other closely related species based on the distinct morphological differences.
Genus : Genus comprises a group of related species which has more characters in common in comparison to species of other genera.
For example : Potato and brinjal are two different species but both belong to the genus Solanum.
Family : Family has a group of related genera with still less number of similarities as compared to genus and species. Families are characterised on the basis of both vegetative and reproductive feature of plant species.
For example : Three different genera Solanum, Petunia and Datura are included in family solanaceae.
Order : Order being a higher category is the assemblage of families which exhibit a few similar character.
For example : Plant families like convolvulaceae, Solanaceae are included in order polymoniales mainly based on the floral characters.
Class : Class includes organism of related orders having less similarities than orders.
Division : Division includes all organisms belonging to different classes having a few common characters.
There are 7 main taxonomic categories. They are obligate or essential or broad categories i.e., they are strictly used at the time of any plant classification.
These are some extra or sub categories, like sub division, suborder, subfamily, etc. They are used only when they are needed.
# The classification of any plant or animal is written in descending order.
# Hierarchy :- Descending or ascending arrangement of taxonomic categories is known as hierarchy.
# Species :- Smallest taxonomic category - It is basic unit of classification.
Note :- As we go higher from species to kingdom, number of common characters decreases. Lower the taxa more are the characteristics that the members within the taxon share. Higher the category greater is the difficulty of determining the relationship to other taxa of the same level.
Note : There is no suffix for Genus, Species and Kingdom.
Classification is not a single step process but involves hierarchy of steps in which each step represents a rank or category since the category is a part of overall taxonomic arrangement, it is called the taxonomic category and all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy. Each category referred to as a unit of classification, infact, represents a rank and is commonly termed as taxon (Pl.....taxa).
Species : Taxonomic studies consider a group of individual oragnism with fundamental similarities as a species. One should be able to distinguish one species from the other closely related species based on the distinct morphological differences.
Genus : Genus comprises a group of related species which has more characters in common in comparison to species of other genera.
For example : Potato and brinjal are two different species but both belong to the genus Solanum.
Family : Family has a group of related genera with still less number of similarities as compared to genus and species. Families are characterised on the basis of both vegetative and reproductive feature of plant species.
For example : Three different genera Solanum, Petunia and Datura are included in family solanaceae.
Order : Order being a higher category is the assemblage of families which exhibit a few similar character.
For example : Plant families like convolvulaceae, Solanaceae are included in order polymoniales mainly based on the floral characters.
Class : Class includes organism of related orders having less similarities than orders.
Division : Division includes all organisms belonging to different classes having a few common characters.
There are 7 main taxonomic categories. They are obligate or essential or broad categories i.e., they are strictly used at the time of any plant classification.
These are some extra or sub categories, like sub division, suborder, subfamily, etc. They are used only when they are needed.
# The classification of any plant or animal is written in descending order.
# Hierarchy :- Descending or ascending arrangement of taxonomic categories is known as hierarchy.
# Species :- Smallest taxonomic category - It is basic unit of classification.
Note :- As we go higher from species to kingdom, number of common characters decreases. Lower the taxa more are the characteristics that the members within the taxon share. Higher the category greater is the difficulty of determining the relationship to other taxa of the same level.
Note : There is no suffix for Genus, Species and Kingdom.