Bentham & Hooker classification of

plant kingdom & Agricultural

classification of crops

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 Systems of classification of Plant
Kingdom
Classification – need ?
The systems of classification may be divided into

1. Ancient system - based on habit (300 BC to 1500 AD)

2. Modern system

- based on sexual parts (1500 AD to 1700 AD)

- relationship (1700 to 1800 AD) and

- phylogeny (1800 to 1900 AD).

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 Aristotle – first to classify living things.
400 BC
-two major groups... plants and animals.
Plants separated by size (structure)
... herbs, shrubs, and trees.
Animals grouped by where they lived
...land, sea, or air.

• Attempted a classification system for over 500 species

of animals

• Categorized animals as air dwellers, land dwellers, and

water dwellers

• Classified the dolphin as a land dweller

• Keen observer of nature

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History of ancient systems of classification
Theophrastus (372 - 287 BC) ‘the Father of Botany’

Student of Aristotle

In his ‘Historia plantarum’ - classified the plants on the basis

of form and texture, as herbs, undershrubs, shrubs and trees

Also based on duration as annual, biennial and perennials

His classification was strictly artificial

In view of his pioneering and classical work on botany, he

was regarded as ‘the Father of Botany’.

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Albertus Magnus (1193 - 1280 AD) - first time distinguished between
monocotyledons and dicotyledons on the anatomical basis

Otta Brunfels (1489 - 1534 AD) - first to recognize between perfect and
imperfect groups of plant kingdom.

Andrea Cesalpino (1519 - 1603 AD) - classified plants on the basis of

seed and embryo characters

Camerarius (1665-1721 AD) - first time demonstrated the sexuality in

flowering plants on the experimental basis. He proved experimentally that
pollen is absolutely necessary for fertilization and seed formation in the
life history of plants.

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History of modern systems of classification

Based on sexual parts (artificial) and relationships (natural).

The most important modern classifications are by

Carolus Linnaeus
Bentham and Hooker
Engler and Prantl

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Linnaeus (1707-1778) Swedish naturalist
‘Father of Taxonomic Botany’.

He followed binomial system of nomenclature

Based on morphological characters, stamens and pistil

Important publications ‘Species Plantarum’ etc.

Linnaeus’s contribution to plant classification was tremendous

and he is considered as the ‘Founder of Modern Plant
Classification’.

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 Binomial Nomenclature
• Carolus Linnaeus developed a two-word
naming system called binomial
nomenclature.

• In binomial nomenclature, each species

is assigned a two-part scientific name.
– The scientific name is always written in italics.
– The first word (the genus) is capitalized
– The second word (the species) is lowercased.
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 Linnaeus's System of Classification

• The are 7 taxonomic

categories. (from
smallest to largest)
• A group or level of • species
organization is called • genus
a taxonomic category, • family
or taxon • order
• class
• Phylum
• kingdom.

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 Hierarchical Classification
Taxonomic categories
– Kingdom King
– Phylum Philip
– Class Came
– Order Over
– Family For
– Genus Good
– Species Spaghetti

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 The 7 taxonomic categories
• Species - a group of organisms that breed with one another
and produce fertile offspring.

• Genus - a group of closely related species.

• Family - genera that share many characteristics.

• Order - is a broad taxonomic category composed of similar

families.

• Class - is composed of similar orders.

• Phylum- several different classes that share important

characteristics.

• Kingdom - largest taxonomic group, consisting of closely

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related phyla
• International Council for Binomial Nomenclature
(ICBN). - to frame the rules and regulations regarding
binomial nomenclature for plants and animals.

Guidelines

• Every scientific name should have words either in Latin or

be Latinized (i.e., follow Latin grammar).

• The first word refers to name of the genus and the second
word to the name of the species.

• The name of the genus should start with a capital letter and
name of the species with a small letter.

• Both the names should be printed in italics or else they

should be underlined separately. For example, Felis leo or
Felis leo.
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• Name of the scientist who first identified and described
the species should be abbreviated and written after the
species name, preferably in brackets.

• For example, Homo sapiens Linnaeus is written as

Homo sapiens (Linn). This practice is more prevalent in
the botanical sciences.

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SJH/AsP PBG 101
Charles Darwin (1859) - published his famous doctrine of evolution
“Origin of species” which brought revolutionary changes in solving the
problem of classification of plants and animals.
Father of evolution

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George Bentham (1800-1884) and Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
(1917-1911), two English Botanists, carried out researches at the Royal
Botanical Garden of Kew and established an important system of
classification.

They published a joint system of classification, containing 202 orders

(families) in a monumental work “Genera Plantarum” (1862-1863).

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 Royal Botanical Garden, Kew

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SJH/AsP PBG 101
 PLANT KINGDOM

Division Phanerogams Cryptogams

Sub-
division Gymnosperms Angiosperms

Class Dicotyledonae Monocotyledonae

Sub- Sympetaleae
Archichylamydae
class (Metachlamydeae)
Order
DICOT = 235
MONOCOT = 53
Family
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D
i
f
f
e
r
e
n
c
e
s

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 Classification of crop plants

Taxonomical Commercial Agricultural

Taxonomic

* Dealt – Natural orders (or) families as in systematic arrangement

* Economic plants – Cruciferae, Malvaceae, Tiliaceae

different botanical group
* Plants – One particular family - grouped together
e .g, Cruciferae - oilseeds - Brassica juncea (Mustard)
Leaf vegetables - Brassica oleraceae var. capitata
Root Crop - Brassica oleraceae var. rapa

Gramineae - Paddy, Wheat, sugar cane and paper pulp –

Bamboo
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• Advantage: understanding of the morphological
characters of any particular family

• Disadvantage: crops with different economic uses and

morphological and other agro-botanical peculiarities
when brought under one family do not generally bring
out the economic importance of the individual crops

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 Commercial classification

Food crops Industrial crops Food adjuncts

Food crops - cereals – Rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, ragi,

Pulses, legumes, fruits, vegetables and nuts

Industrial crop - Cotton, Sugarcane, tobacco, groundnut,

castor, gingelly, tapioca…..etc

Food adjuncts - No distinct demarcation – food and

Industrial usuage. spices and condiments,
beverages and narcotics

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• Disadvantage: It is possible that one crop
which has been included as a food crop
may figure also as an industrial crop.

• E.g. maize or tapioca.

• A better classification is the agricultural

classification.
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 Agricultural classification
use of plants and plant products to man
• Cereals
• Pulses
• Vegetables, Fruits and Nuts
• Oilseeds
• Sugars and Starches
• Fibres
• Beverages
• Narcotics
• Spices and Condiments
• Rubber
• Forages
• Green and Green leaf manure

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 1.

 Ceres - roman goddess of harvest

 Rome - festival - honour – Ceres – “Giver of grain”

 Wheat and barley – offerings made to goddess –

“Cerealia munera”
 Cerealia (or) cereals – family Poaceae

 Fruit of the plant of family Poaceae - caryopsis

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 Major cereals – Paddy, Wheat
 Minor cereals – small grained cereals – minor food

Minor cereals / millets

 Major millets - Sorghum, Ragi, Maize, pearl millet
 Small millets - Fox tail millet, Little millet,

 Temperate zone cereal - Rye, Oats, Barley

 Small grains – used in case of cereals (Pseudo cereals)

 Buck wheat - Chenopodiaceae

 Grain amaranthus - Amaranthaceae
 Quina,(Chenopodium quinoa) - Chenopodiaceae
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Characteristics of cereals

Shallow roots
adventitious and fibrous root system – functional
throughout the life of crop
 Tillering habit – common in cereals
 inflorescence (panicle)
 Cereals – supply food to man, straw to animals
 Flour or meal of grains– made of starch(CHO)
 whole grain – food – rice
 Popped – maize, sorghum, and rice
 Pressed and Processed – rice and
oats – break fast cereals

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 Cereals and Grains

Wheat Triticale Rice Rye Oats

SJH/AsPBarley Maize PBG 101 Samai Sorghum

 Rice – staple food – large proportion of starch
 Wheat – proteins besides starch – second to rice
 Sorghum – Tropical country – India and Africa
 Pearl millet, fox tail millet, finger millet – other
important food crops
 Maize – Important in tropical regions of the world
 Rye – colder regions - Europe and Russia
 Barley – malt food
 Oats – Beaten and in processed condition
– light food

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 2.

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 Term pulse - seeds of leguminous plants
supply proteins and forms chief
source in vegetarian food

Seeds, Whole fruit or pods, both young and mature

are also used

Whole plant in legumes - Papilionaceous plants –

rich in nitrogen

Seeds, Pods, leaves and shoots have high

proportion of protein
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 Per capita consumption - one ounce
 Minimum requirement - 3 ounces
 Pulse crops – Cajanus cajan (Red gram)
Vigna mungo (Black gram)
V.radiata (Green gram)

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 3.

Horticulture - Cultivation of fruits,

vegetables and ornamental plants

Olericulture – Vegetables
Pomology – Fruits and Nuts
Floriculture – Ornamental plants

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 Fruit is the seed bearing portion of the plant
and consists of a ripened ovary
 It is the main sources of minerals, and
vitamins particulary A and C.
 Contain organic acids and pigments
 Vegetables are a source of vitamins, minerals
and roughage (assists in moving food through
the alimentary canal by aiding the muscular
action of the intestine thus preventing
constipation)
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Nuts are one seeded indehiscent dry
fruit with a hard or stony pericarp
(shell)

Nuts are generally rich in oils and fats

contain moderate amounts of CHO, and
proteins

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 4.
 For Consumption and Industrial purpose
 Human diet – Fat is supplied by oils –
necessary for metabolism besides taste
 Used for medicinal purposes
 Industrials - Preparation of soaps, cosmetics
and lubrication
 Export trade – Castor oil and coconut oil is
very important
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 5.
Sugars
 Sugarcane – production of jaggery
 Sugar production and trade attained national importance
 Europe, Canada and in U.S.A – Sugarbeet is the chief
source
 Other sources are – Palms, namely Palmyrah, coconut
and date palm
 Tapped juice – converted to palm gurs – cheaper source
of sugars
 Sugars – food sweeteners – rich source of energy

Starches
✭ Indian Diet – Cereals – Bulk of starch – Rice, sorghum
and other cereals
 Starchy foods - Sweet potato, tapioca, and sago palm
 Used in confectionary, textile industry, stationery and
cosmetics
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 Sugars Starches

Sugar cane Tapiocca

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 6.
• Next to food – Clothing is the essential one
• Cotton – Important fibre crop – Cultivated for
centuries
• Temperate regions – linen from flax or linseed –
clothing
• Artificial fibres – wood pulp – prominent
• Gunny bags, Hessian cloth and packing materials –
Jute and Mesta are important
• Twines, cardages and ropes which are needed in
daily life, carpets, brushes and stuffing purposes. –
Coconut
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 7.
Beverages are drinks which form an essential part
of human diet because of their liquid content, have
stimulating effect
• Coffee, tea and Cocoa - Important beverages of the world
• Coffee and tea - Plantation crops – Export
market
• Cocoa - Potential for beverage and
confectionary
• Fruit juices like orange, pineapple and mango juice –
soft drinks

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8.

Products – tobacco, ganja, opium and stramonium

• Narcotics are substances which produce stimulating

or drowsy or numbing effects in moderate doses
• Relieve pain or produce sleep
• Synonymous to drugs
• Mild stimulant
• Mild stimulant preparation
• Adjuncts to fermentation Narcotics
• Flavour ingredients to beverages
• Mild poison
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 • When substances are smoked - Fumitories
• When substances are chewed
as betel leaf or Arecanut - Masticatories
• Alkaloid in plant parts - Create the effects
• Pharmaceutical botany - Plant drugs
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 9.

Food adjuncts – Add flavour, Aroma and

Taste
Aroma and flavour - spices
Taste - condiments
Spices and condiments have essential oil
- flavour and taste
Chief plants - cardamom, cloves,
chillies, turmeric, ginger and onion
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 10.

 Daily consumer use and industrial use

 Localized in south India – Important role in
national economy
 Rubber plantation – Havea brasiliensis –
introduced from Brazil
 Latex and rubber also obtained from
Manihot glaziovii,
Cryptostegia and
Taraxacum

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11.

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• Feed – domestic animals
– Grain crops and fodder crops
• Forages – fodders and pasturages
Cultivated fodders
• Guinea grass, Napier grass, Lucerne, fodder cholam,
fodder maize etc fed to animals.
• Grasses and legumes grown – Arable land -
left for animals to graze – “Pastures”
Important forages
• Straw of paddy and cholam, bhusa of pulse crops
and ground nut
• Foliage of trees and shrubs – forage in dry areas
during scarcity

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12.

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• Green manures
Growing of special crops, adds organic matter and
Nitrogen to the soil by ploughing them insitu

• Green manure plants - Plants grown for green manuring

Papillonaceous types
Fix nitrogen in soil
Formation of baterial nodules in
the roots
High nitrogen content in leaves
and shoots

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• Daincha, Sunhemp, Pillipesera, kolingi,
Indigo and Sesbania speciosa – For
plains

• Lupins – For hills

• Green leaf manure – green loopings of

shrubs and trees – incorporated from
–Ipomea carnea and Glyricidia
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 SUMMARY
1. Cereals
2. Pulses
3. Vegetables, Fruits and Nuts
4. Oilseeds
5. Sugars and Starches
6. Fibres
7. Beverages
8. Narcotics
9. Spices and Condiments
10. Rubber
11. Forages
12. Green and Green leaf manure
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