Variety (botany)

The variety ( latin varietas, abbreviated var ) is in biology a taxonomic rank, which is now only used in botany. The variety is a secondary rank between subspecies and form and is used for populations that differ only slightly from the type. In the past, the terms variety or variety were common. In the rose breeding, the term sport is used.

Botany

One variety has in today's opinion several populations that differ in single or very few characteristics of the type of form, but in contrast to the subspecies do not own area. Thus the two varieties of Real chervil ( Anthriscus cerefolium ) differ only in the pubescence of the fruits and taste nuances.

Often a variety is not a natural kinship group, but includes a group of striking indeed, but little taxonomically relevant features. Very often they do not have a separate area still have them on a specific site binding. The biological significance of the characteristics and thus the variety is therefore often unclear.

Zoology

In accordance with Article 45.6.3 and 4 ICZN are varieties that were published before 1961 as such, be regarded today as a subspecies. Descriptions after 1960 are referred to in Article 15.2 as below the subspecies located outside of the scope of the code.

History

The Latin word varietas was used in the scheme with the meaning of " diversity, variation, change" long before Linnaeus. For small deviations from the ideal type of the species were described. In general, the early taxonomists had problems with the variation of their species concept was still a essentialist, and not influenced by the Population thinking.

Carl Linnaeus was the first to formalize the concept of variety. For him and other early taxonomists the variety was the only rank below the Art Generally Linnaeus varieties were unimportant, they considered rather than reversible modifications.

However, Linnaeus' variety included a very heterogeneous group of deviations from the type of features. He summed up here at least four different phenomena together: non-genetic modifications due to differences in diet, climate, etc.; Breeds of domestic animals and crops; genetically fixed variation within a population as well as geographical races. So there were hereditary and non- hereditary properties, differences between individuals and between populations. In his Philosophia Botanica (1751 ), he wrote, for example, in the section on the plant variety, the influence of climate or soil to which would disappear in a different climate or soil. In the section on the animals he placed the hereditary characteristics of the breeds as well as varieties dar. Varietätsnamen were often characterized by Greek letters and appended to the style name. The variety has long been the most important rank below the Art

Early, as already indicated in Linnaeus, the importance of variety in zoology and botany separated. Zoologists used variety long while botanists so designated for geographical races cultivated varieties or variations within a population so.

Around the middle of the 19th century began in zoology, the conceptual separation into subspecies of geographical races and varieties for variants within a population to enforce. As a result, disappeared in zoology, the term variety largely from the taxonomy and is only used in some areas for individual variations. Also in botany solved the subspecies the variety as the most important rank below the kind, however, was preserved in the sense described above. In North America, the variety has in botany, however, largely obtained in the same meaning as the subspecies.