How Botanists Classify Plants
Botanists classify plants into groups that have similar characteristics.
Plants within a group are more closely related to other members of their own group than to members of another group, just as you are more closely related to your parents and brothers and sisters than you are to families of other students in your class.
Six major Plant groups are listed here. More about two other groups of organisms, Fungi and Red Algae, can be found on Britannica.
Plants
- Dicotyledons
- Aceraceae (Maple Family)
- Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
- Fabaceae (Pea Family)
- Monocotyledons
- Liliaceae (Lily Family)
- Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)
- Poaceae (Grass Family)
- Conifers
- Pinaceae (Pine Family)
- Cupressaceae (Juniper Family)
- Ephedra Group
- Ephedraceae (Mormon Tea Family)
- Equisetaceae (Horsetail Family)
- Mosses
- Liverworts
Example
Species: Trametes versicolor
Common Name: Turkey Tail
Family: Coriolaceae
Genus: Trametes
Description: The fans we see are actually the fruiting part of the fungus. They produce spores that will spread to grow into new Turkey Tails. The surface is silky or velvety with brown, reddish brown, bluish, blackish or yellow bands. The underside has pores and is white to yellowish.
Distribution: Widespread, common
Habitat: Grows on decaying wood (hardwoods and sometimes conifers) in damp places and oak forests. Found in summer and fall.
Other Names: Polyporus versicolor, Coriolus versicolor