German researchers have compiled
Researchers at Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research have compiled the world’s largest and most complete list of scientific names of all known plant species in the world. It contains 1,315,562 names of vascular plants (plants with specialized vascular tissues the xylem and phloem) thus extending the number of recognized plant species and subspecies by some 70,000, equivalent to about 20%.
It comprises of 351,180 vascular plant species and 6160 natural hybrids (naturally cross-pollinated plants) across 13,460 genera, 564 families and 84 orders. The compilation is known as the Leipzig Catalog of Vascular Plants (LCVP).
The researchers have succeeded in clarifying 181,000 unclear species. This is the result of ten years of intensive research work. It will serve as an important reference source for plant researchers. (Plant taxonomy is classification of plants by naming and placing them in a hierarchical structure – the order is kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
Image credits: Twitter of iDiv Biodiv Research