Chapter: 11th Botany : Chapter 5 : Taxonomy and Systematic Botany
Artificial system of classification - Taxonomy and Systematic Botany
Artificial system of classification
Carolus
Linnaeus (1707 - 1778) was a great Swedish
Botanist and said to be the “Father of
Taxonomy.” He outlined an
artificial system of classification in “Species Plantarum” in 1753,
wherein he listed and described 7,300 species and arranged in 24 classes mostly
on the basis of number, union
The classes were further subdivided on the basis of carpel characteristics into orders. Hence the system of classification is also known as sexual system of classification.
This system of classification though artificial,
was continued for more than 100 years after the death of Linnaeus, due to its
simplicity and easy way of identification of plants.
However the system could not hold good due to the
following reasons.
1.
Totally unrelated plants were kept in a single
group, whereas closely related plants were placed in widely separated groups.
Example:
a.
Zingiberaceae of monocotyledons and Anacardiaceae
of dicotyledonous were placed under the class Monandria since these possess
single stamens.
b.
Prunus was
classified along with Cactus because
of the same number of stamens.
No attempts were made to classify plants based on
either natural or phylogenetic relationships which exist among plant groups.
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