What is the term for the Latinized first name or general description of a plant or flower, which is always capitalized?

What is the term for the Latinized first name or general description of a plant or flower, which is always capitalized?

• A. Genus
• B. Species
• C. Family
• D. Cultivar

Answer: (A)

In plant naming, the first part of a two-part scientific name is the genus, a Latinized term that denotes the general group of related species. This genus name is always capitalized, for example Rosa in Rosa chinensis. The second part, the species epithet, identifies a specific species within that genus and is usually lowercase. The family is a broader taxonomic level higher than genus and isn’t used as the capitalized first word of the scientific name. A cultivar refers to a cultivated variety and follows a different naming convention, not the Latinized genus name. So, the term described as a Latinized first name or general group name that is always capitalized is genus.

In plant naming, the first part of a two-part scientific name is the genus, a Latinized term that denotes the general group of related species. This genus name is always capitalized, for example Rosa in Rosa chinensis. The second part, the species epithet, identifies a specific species within that genus and is usually lowercase. The family is a broader taxonomic level higher than genus and isn’t used as the capitalized first word of the scientific name. A cultivar refers to a cultivated variety and follows a different naming convention, not the Latinized genus name. So, the term described as a Latinized first name or general group name that is always capitalized is genus.