Carl Linnaeus realized in the 1730s that to successfully study the animals and plants of the world, scientists needed a standard nomenclature for naming individual species. Before Linnaeus, a white oak may be called Majesty Oak in Ireland and Hillside Oak in Scotland. Now it’s called Quercus alba, and its related to some other well-known tree groups.

Quercus alba belongs to the Beech Family (Fagaceae). Within the family there are other sub-families, what Linnaeus called “genera”. Some notable genera within Fagaceae are Fagus (Beech), Castanea (Chestnut), and Quercus (Oak). When we discuss Quercus alba, we’re acknowledging that the white oak species is closely related to black oak (Quercus velutina) and less so with American beech (Fagus grandifolia).

Binomial nomenclature is simply assigning a two-word naming convention to all species according to how closely they are related. The two-word indication list the genus name first and species name next. For white oak, the genus is Quercus (Latin for “oak”) and the species is alba (Latin for “white”). So when a treehugger in Australia and a forest ecologist in Alaska talk about Quercus alba, they’re both referring to the same species.

Let’s discuss the Mustard Family (Brassicaceae). My favorite genus in the family is Brassica, because some of my favorite vegetables are found in the genus. I don’t eat a lot of rutabaga (Brassica napus) or turnip (Brassica rapa), but I absolutely love the bounty that Brassica oleracea provides.

Brassica oleracea grows native in the Mediterranean region, and in ancient times the locals noticed something extraordinary about the plant. After some trial and error, gardeners began selecting plants for various leaf and flower characteristics and cultivated them to exploit their culinary wonders. What emerged were some amazing cultivars that include kale, collard greens, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. My absolute favorite cultivar among this plant species is broccoli, because it’s delectable flower buds are loaded with nutrients and easily cooked.

Let us now discuss an issue relevant in Illinois today, because we live in a brave new world where recreational and medical cannabis are a reality. Too often non-users are confused by the terminology used to describe cannabis, so let’s turn to Linnaeus.

Cannabis is in the family Cannabaceae. This family contains the genus Cannabis, of which there are three species. Cannabis ruderalis is boring, so let’s ignore it. Cannabis indica is native to the Indian Subcontinent, and it’s responsible for some of the most beautiful flower bud I’ve ever known. Two of my loves of the plant world are steamed broccoli buds and smoking indica buds.

And now, my Stoned Readers, we turn to the most versatile plant mankind has ever known, Cannabis sativa. This plant has been cultivated for millenia because of its amazing properties that include providing fiber, oil, food, and medicine. Linnaeus first described Cannabis sativa in 1753, and the species epithet refers to its use in cultivation. The word “sativa” in Latin is a botanical adjective used to denote a plant that is commonly grown for its useful properties.

Over 250 years ago the Father of Modern Taxonomy recognized that an amazing plant was grown for the good of mankind. Somehow it was forgotten in our collective conscious, but it was never lost. We are now seeing a resurgence in recognition of how important Cannabis sativa is to our lives, and it’s time to re-discover the magic that we lost for the last century. Enjoy it in its many forms!