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Genus

/JEE-nus/
🏷️ Taxonomy Basic

Also known as: gena, genum

A principal rank in biological classification that groups together closely related species sharing common characteristics and a common ancestor. The genus name forms the first part of a binomial scientific name and is always capitalized and italicized (e.g., Rosa, Quercus).

Etymology

From Latin genus, meaning "birth, origin, race, kind."

Example

All true roses belong to the genus Rosa, which contains over 300 species.

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