Rank (botany)
From Freepedia
In botanical nomenclature, a taxon is usually assigned to a rank in a hierarchy. According to Art 3.1 of the ICBN the most important ranks of taxa are: kingdom, division or phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. According to Art 4.1 the secondary ranks of taxa are tribe, section, series, variety and form. There is an inderminate number of ranks. The ICBN explicitly mentions:
primary ranks
- - - secondary ranks
- - - - - - - further ranks
kingdom (regnum)
- - - - - - - subregnum
division or phylum (divisio, phylum)
- - - - - - - subdivisio or subphylum
class (classis)
- - - - - - - subclassis
order (ordo)
- - - - - - - subordo
family (familia)
- - - - - - - subfamilia
- - - tribe (tribus)
- - - - - - - subtribus
genus (genus)
- - - section (sectio)
- - - - - - - subsectio
- - - series (series)
- - - - - - - subseries
species (species)
- - - - - - - subspecies
- - - variety (varietas)
- - - - - - - subvarietas
- - - form (forma)
- - - - - - - subforma
The rules in the ICBN apply primarily to the ranks of family and below, and only to some extent to those above the rank of family. Also see descriptive botanical names.
Taxa at the rank of genus and above get a botanical name in one part (unitary name); those at the rank of species and above (but below genus) get a botanical name in two parts (binary name); all taxa below the rank of species get a botanical name in three parts (ternary name).
For hybrids, getting a hybrid name, the same ranks apply, preceded by "notho", with nothogenus as the highest permitted rank.
