Plant species and plant variety sound like interchangeable terms, but do they really mean the same thing? Plant taxonomy sheds light on the darkness.
The difference between plant type and plant variety is not always clear. In the following sections, we'll explore the meaning of "species" and "variety."
What is a plant species?
To understand what a plant species is, one should first understand what plant taxonomy means. Taxonomy means nothing other than "order" or "system". The taxonomy of plants or animals tries to classify living beings in a system - according to their relationship. You can think of it like a family tree. More distantly related are living beings of the same order. Closely related are creatures of the same genus or species. Creatures of the same species are even very similar.
An example:
Winter hedge onion (Allium fistulosum) is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus Allium (Allium). This genus also includes other plant species, such as wild garlic (Allium ursinum), which looks very different from the winter hedge onion. Nevertheless, they are similar in some characteristics that make up the genus Allium. Both species have onions as outlasting organs in the soil, have a typical, onion-like smell and have simple leaves with parallel leaf veins. The garlic (Allium sativum) as another species of the genus also shows these characteristics. These leek plants are rather distantly related to orchids, although both belong to the order of the asparagus-like species (Asparagaceae). Although they still share some characteristics with them, they also have clear differences.
Tip: Imagine the systematics of the plants as a tree. Plants on the same "leaf" (species) are closely related, plants on the same "branch" (genus) more closely related, while all plants on the same "branch" (family, order) only very closelyremotely connected.
But how are plants classified in the taxonomic system? Not all distinguishing features are obvious at first glance. You often need a magnifying glass or even a microscope to see the differences between different species. Science has established rules for categorizing plants into the same species or, say, just the same genus: plants of the same species are capable of producing fertile offspring, and they are very similar physically and genetically.
There is an unbelievably large number of plant species on earth, and new ones are being discovered all the time. In addition, research is constantly gaining new insights - also thanks to genetic research, which recognizes relationships more reliably. Plants are therefore reclassified and renamed from time to time to better represent the relationship.
Tip: It can also happen that individuals of a species that should actually be very similar differ significantly. The dandelion, for example, looks visibly different in different regions of Germany. However, it is still clearly recognizable as a dandelion and the plants can be crossed with each other. The traits that are then formed are tied to the region. For example, the flowering time characteristic of a plant species may be different in southern regions than in northern regions where the flowers open later. Such a variation in the species is called a subspecies, section, or ecotype.
What is a plant variety?
Varieties only denote groups of plants that result from targeted breeding. Breeding is used especially for garden plants that should have the strongest possible colors or large flowers, as well as for increasing yields and robustness in agriculture. Here, too, the characteristics of a variety must match. The term "variety" can be compared to the term "breed" in animal breeding. In the plant kingdom, a variety is always written in double quotation marks to identify it: 'Variety'.
If new varieties are bred, they must be approved by the Federal Plant Variety Office. If the variety is to be protected, then you get a kind of patent on it. Contrary to the species name, theis botanically clear, variety names are not always consistent. Varieties of ornamental plants can even arise without official approval and are then often named several times.
Plants that have been domesticated for a long time and have been bred for many years are of course particularly rich in variety. Other plant species are little used and have no varieties at all, but only exist in the "wild species".
An example of varieties:
Let's stay with the winter hedge onion as an example. In addition to the wild species Allium fistulosum, there are various varieties, such as Allium fistulosum 'Freddy', the is particularly pot-bellied, or Allium fistulosum 'Pure White', which is particularly hardy.
Tip: Good varieties can be found, for example, in the perennial sighting. For fruit varieties and many other crops, the Federal Plant Variety Office offers a database in which many variety properties can be looked up.
What is the difference between species and varieties?
Plants of a kind…
- Have a unique botanical name consisting of 2 parts: genus name and species name. Example: Malus sylvestris (crab apple).
- Have the same external characteristics.
- Produce fertile offspring.
- Very similar genetically.
- May include distinct naturally occurring subspecies, ecotypes, or sections distinct from the ancestral form.
Example: The apples (Malus) are a genus of plants with up to 55 species. These include the cultivated apple (Malus x domestica), cherry apple (Malus baccata) and crab apple ( Malus sylvestris). The cultivated apple is a so-called hybrid of different species of the genus Malus and was created by human hands. Hybrid seed is a major controversy in agriculture, which you can read more about in a related article.
Plant Varieties…
- Occurs through targeted breeding by humans, for example line breeding or hybrid breeding.
- Can be registered and protected if certain requirements are met.
- Belong to the same species but have different characteristics.
- Do not always have a clear botanical name.
- Become with 2Quotation marks marked: ‘Sort’.
Example: 'Gala', 'Golden Delicious' or 'Elstar' are varieties of the cultivated apple (Malus x domestica). So they belong to the same species, but the fruits differ in appearance and taste.
Now that you know the difference between a species and a variety, you may want to propagate a very specific type of vegetable. Learn how to get seeds for next year in our special article.