Linnaeus lives on

摘要

The relevance of taxonomy in our genomic era is greater than ever. Correct naming is crucial for developing new foods and medicines, and for understanding our changing environment. Amazingly, we do not even know how many species of flowering plant currently exist. Estimates range from about 250,000 to more than 400,000, and every day species are lost to human activities. Conservation, in natural habitats or botanical gardens, relies on scientific names, as does the rest of science.