The binomial system of naming plants uses the ____ sequence.

• A. Genus, species
• B. Species, genus
• C. Family, genus
• D. Order, family

Answer: (A)

In binomial nomenclature, a plant’s two-part name starts with the genus and ends with the species epithet. The genus is a broader group of closely related plants, and the species epithet specifies the exact species within that genus. Put together, the sequence is Genus, species, which gives a unique, universally recognized name for the plant. For example, Rosa canina uses Rosa as the genus and canina as the species epithet. Higher ranks like family or order aren’t used in forming the two-part binomial name, and reversing the order would not yield the standard scientific name.