Cultivar

Cultivar Definition and Naming

• Cultivars are cultivated plants selected for desired traits.
• Propagation methods include division, cuttings, grafting, tissue culture, or controlled seed production.
• Cultivars can originate from wild plants with distinct characteristics.
• Naming governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.
• Cultivar names consist of a Latin botanical name followed by a cultivar epithet.
• Legal protection provided by UPOV, requiring cultivars to be distinct, uniform, and stable.
• Statutory patents and plant breeders’ rights impact cultivar naming.

Cultivar Etymology and Cultigens

• Coined terms ‘cultigen’ and ‘cultivar’ by Liberty Hyde Bailey.
• Differentiates between wild and cultivated plants.
• Theophrastus recognized the distinction between wild and cultivated plants.
• Cultigens are plants deliberately selected or altered in cultivation.
• Cultigens are distinct from wild plants.
• Cultigens can be named at various taxonomic ranks.
• All cultivars are cultigens, but not all cultigens are cultivars.

Cultivar Types and Production Methods

• Cultivars serve practical needs of horticulture, agriculture, and forestry.
• Cultivars can be produced through human involvement or selecting variation from wild plants.
• Examples include apples like Granny Smith and Red Delicious, and lettuce cultivars like Red Sails.
• Clones are genetically identical plants produced asexually.
• Seed-produced cultivars may result from uncontrolled pollination or deliberate crosses.
• Genetically modified plants with implanted genetic material may form a cultivar.

Cultivar Registration and Trade Designations

• Ensures unique identification of cultivated plants.
• International Cultivar Registration Authorities prevent duplication of cultivar names.
• Cultivar names regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.
• Trade designations used for marketing purposes.
• Scientific names in the public domain, while marketing names offer a sales advantage.
• Different selling names may be used for a plant in different countries.

Intellectual Property Rights and Ownership of Nature

• Protects innovations in biotechnology, including plant cultivars.
• Includes patents, trademarks, and plant breeders’ rights.
• Debate on ownership of genetic resources impacts biodiversity conservation.
• Ethical and legal concerns related to ownership of nature.
• Influences international agreements, policies, and indigenous knowledge protection.

Cultivar Data Sources