How many species of plant are there?
It should be a simple question. After all, we have been describing, naming, and studying species of plants for 500 years, and the whole system of nomenclature and classification was developed in order to list plants. Estimate range widely, from 200,000 to nearly 300,000 or even 400,000 [also here] and up. There are about one million plant names, but many of these are synonyms, and many are also not species, but subspecies or varieties.
It turns out that the number harder to identify than usually thought or reported, and this has become clear because the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the New York Botanical Garden, the Global Compositae Checklist in New Zealand, International Legume Database & Information Service, the International Organization for Plant Information, and the International Plant Names Index have all collaborated on putting together a single comprehensive and synonymised list of all plant species.
Called The Plant List, it lists 298,900 accepted species, 477,601 synonyms, and 263,925 as-yet unresolved names. It’s a nontrivial achievement. Here, for instance, is the list of all species names in the genus Rosa (roses). There’s 885 of them, mostly subspecific varieties.
As taxonomy becomes crucial for our biodiversity conservation efforts in the face of major ecological shifts with global warming, such lists, more than a simple literature search but with added value from a critical analysis of each, will become a major tool.
Here’s the press release and here’s a Grauniad article complete with cheesy pun.
Filed under: Ecology and Biodiversity, Species and systematics, Species concept, Systematics
Read more at Evolving Thoughts
Source:
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Humic & Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex
HerbAnomic’s Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex is a revolutionary New Humic and Fulvic Acid Complex designed to support your body at the cellular level. Our product has been thoroughly tested by an ISO/IEC Certified Lab for toxins and Heavy metals as well as for trace mineral content. We KNOW we have NO lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum etc. in our Formula. This Humic & Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral complex has high trace levels of naturally occurring Humic and Fulvic Acids as well as high trace levels of Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Potassium and more. There is a wide range of up to 70 trace minerals which occur naturally in our Complex at varying levels. We Choose to list the 8 substances which occur in higher trace levels on our supplement panel. We don’t claim a high number of minerals as other Humic and Fulvic Supplements do and leave you to guess which elements you’ll be getting. Order Your Humic Fulvic for Your Family by Clicking on this Link , or the Banner Below.
Our Formula is an exceptional value compared to other Humic Fulvic Minerals because...
It’s OXYGENATED
It Always Tests at 9.5+ pH
Preservative and Chemical Free
Allergen Free
Comes From a Pure, Unpolluted, Organic Source
Is an Excellent Source for Trace Minerals
Is From Whole, Prehisoric Plant Based Origin Material With Ionic Minerals and Constituents
Highly Conductive/Full of Extra Electrons
Is a Full Spectrum Complex
Our Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex has Minerals, Amino Acids, Poly Electrolytes, Phytochemicals, Polyphenols, Bioflavonoids and Trace Vitamins included with the Humic and Fulvic Acid. Our Source material is high in these constituents, where other manufacturers use inferior materials.
Try Our Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex today. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.
| Online: | |
| Visits: | 1,613,072,403 |
| Stories: | 8,178,959 |
Whistler Blowers, Insiders
