Section (botany) explained

In botany, a section (Latin: sectio) is a taxonomic rank below the genus, but above the species.^[1] The subgenus, if present, is higher than the section, and the rank of series, if present, is below the section. Sections may in turn be divided into subsections.^[2]

Sections are typically used to help organise very large genera, which may have hundreds of species.^[1] A botanist wanting to distinguish groups of species may prefer to create a taxon at the rank of section or series to avoid making new combinations, i.e. many new binomial names for the species involved.^[1]

Examples:

• Lilium sectio Martagon Rchb. are the Turks' cap lilies
• Plagiochila aerea Taylor is the type species of Plagiochila sect. Bursatae

See also

• Section (biology)

References

Notes and References

1. Book: Tod F. Stuessy . 2009 . Plant Taxonomy: the Systematic Evaluation of Comparative Data . 2nd . . 978-0-231-14712-5 . The Genus . 163–171 . https://books.google.com/books?id=0bYs8F0Mb9gC&pg=PA164.
2. Article 4 in Book: McNeill, J. . Barrie, F.R. . Buck, W.R. . Demoulin, V. . Greuter, W. . Hawksworth, D.L. . Herendeen, P.S. . Knapp, S. . Marhold, K. . Prado, J. . Prud'homme Van Reine, W.F. . Smith, G.F. . Wiersema, J.H. . Turland, N.J. . 2012. Regnum Vegetabile 154. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG. 978-3-87429-425-6.