Genus

Etymology and History of Genus

• The term ‘genus’ originates from Latin, meaning ‘to bear; to give birth to.’
• Carl Linnaeus popularized the use of ‘genus’ in his 1753 work ‘Species Plantarum.’
• French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) is credited with the modern concept of genera.

Use and Significance in Nomenclature

• The scientific name of a genus, known as the generic name, is always capitalized.
• Crucial in binomial nomenclature for naming organisms.
• Combined with the specific name of a species to form the scientific name.
• Follows nomenclature codes for unique Latin binomial names.

Taxonomic Classification and Types Within Genus

• Each genus should have a designated type species.
• The generic name is permanently linked to the type specimen of its type species.
• Type genus forms the base for higher taxonomic ranks.

Diversity and Numbers of Genera

• Estimated 310,000 accepted genus names out of c. 520,000 published names.
• Approximately 2,500 new generic names published per year.
• Animalia has 239,093 accepted genus names.
• Varying numbers of species within genera, with examples like Astragalus and bee genera Lasioglossum and Andrena.

Identical Names, Homonyms, and Resources

• One generic name applies to one genus only within the same kingdom.
• Examples of homonyms include Ornithorhynchus and Platypus.
• Resources like IRMNG, Nomenclator Zoologicus, and Index to Organism Names are available for genus information.

Genus Data Sources