Two plant specimens, X and Y, were cataloged during a botanical field investigation. Speci… — JAMB UTME

Two plant specimens, $X$ and $Y$ , were cataloged during a botanical field investigation. Specimen $X$ was recorded as *Zea mays* L., while Specimen $Y$ was recorded as *Zea luxurians*. Based on the principles of Linnaean binomial nomenclature and taxonomic hierarchy, which of the following statements correctly interprets their taxonomic relationship and scientific designation?

Both specimens belong to the same genus but represent different species, with 'L.' designating the abbreviated authority name of the taxonomist who first published the species name.Answer
B
Specimen $X$ is written using trinomial nomenclature because it contains three terms, placing it in a lower taxonomic rank than Specimen $Y$ .
C
The scientific designation of Specimen $Y$ is invalid because binomial nomenclature requires both the generic name and the species epithet to begin with upper-case initial letters.
D
Specimen $X$ and Specimen $Y$ belong to Kingdom Fungi because organisms with italicized scientific names obtain nutrients exclusively through saprophytic extracellular digestion.

Answer

Both specimens belong to the same genus (*Zea*) but represent distinct species, and 'L.' denotes the authority (Carl Linnaeus) who first described the species.

The correct answer accurately identifies that both specimens share the same genus (*Zea*) but are distinct species (*mays* and *luxurians*), and that 'L.' is the standard author citation representing Carl Linnaeus.

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the generic name of both specimens

Specimen

X

(*Zea mays* L.) and Specimen

Y

(*Zea luxurians*) share the first word *Zea*.

In binomial nomenclature, the first capitalized word indicates the genus to which the organism belongs.

Analyze the specific epithets and additional notation

*mays* and *luxurians* are distinct specific epithets. The letter 'L.' stands for Linnaeus.

Different second words indicate distinct species within the same genus. An abbreviated author name following the species epithet denotes authority, not a third name component.

Verify capitalization and formatting conventions

The genus name is capitalized, the specific epithet is lowercase, and both are italicized.

Linnaean rules mandate capitalizing the genus while keeping the species epithet in lowercase.

Key Concept

Linnaean binomial nomenclature rules and authority citations

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