Section (botany)

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

References

1. Tod F. Stuessy (2009). "The Genus". Plant Taxonomy: the Systematic Evaluation of Comparative Data (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press. pp. 163–171. ISBN 978-0-231-14712-5.
2. Article 4 in 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). International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011. Regnum Vegetabile 154. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG. ISBN 978-3-87429-425-6.