Taxonomy of Apple

Taxonomy of Apple
The scientific or Latin of a plant is extremely important as common names vary with location and language spoken.

Taxonomic classification places a plant in a large group of related plants (a family) and assigns to it an official names, based on Latin and Greek root words.

Scientific names generally consist of two italicized words, the first denoting the genus, the second a species within that genus.

For example, Malus domestica is the name for the cultivated apple, where Malus is the genus and domestica the species name.

In Latin, Malus is a noun meaning “apple” or alternately, “evil,” “bad,” “or “wrong.” The dual meaning probably stems from the biblical story of Eve and the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

The species name domestica is a n adjective meaning “around the house” thus, the entire name translates roughly top the domesticated apple.

Last, but not least, someone always has to take credit for things, so the authority is tacked in the scientific name, denoting the person who named the plant.

In the case of apple, it was a botanist named Borkhausen, so the precise full name for apple is Malus domestica Borkh.
Taxonomy of Apple