Italicise genus and species names

The genus and species form the definitive name of a plant or animal. By convention:

• the genus is in italics and takes an initial capital
• the species is in italics and is lower case.

Subspecies and the names of varieties are also italicised. In these names, abbreviations for the words ‘subspecies’ and ‘variety’ take a full stop. This is an exception to the general rule for abbreviations.

Write common names in lower case and roman type

Most plants and animals have a common name as well as their genus and species name.

For common names:

• Use lower case unless they are also a proper noun, a registered trade mark or in some specialised content such as genetics.
• Do not use italics.

Use initial capitals when the name includes a proper noun.

Plant and animal names that are also common English words

Names that have become everyday words are shown in roman type and don’t need a capital letter.

This includes English derivatives. These are plant and animal names that came from the scientific classification system and are now in everyday use.

You usually don’t need to use an initial capital for breeds, even if they are derived from a regional name.

Registered trade marks

Use an initial capital for names of registered cultivars or breeds. In a sentence, the registered name is sometimes in quotation marks.

It’s best to check a dictionary or another reputable source to confirm whether the name has an initial capital. Refer to related guidance on commercial terms.

Birds (ornithology)

In generalist Australian Government content, use lower case for the names of birds unless the name contains a proper noun.

This style may vary in some specialist content and content following international conventions. If writing for these, check and use the style that readers will understand. For example, in some contexts the common names of bird species start with a capital letter but are lower case when used as a generic term.

In both generalist and specialist content, use lower case for bird names in a list of common names of plants and animals.

Genetics

When using genetic terms for plants and animals:

• Use italics for the names of genes.
• Use roman type for the names of proteins (enzymes).

Capitalisation varies for the names of genes, but proteins usually take an initial capital only.

Include the genus and species at first mention of the common name

The common name of a plant or animal can be a local name for more than one species in different places. Only the scientific name is the definitive name.

For this reason, include the species name in parentheses when you first mention the common name so it is clear which plant or animal you are writing about.

A common name is often a local name for a species:

• A common name can be used for several species.
• A species can have different common names in different places.

When the genus is repeated, it can be abbreviated

If you have already written the full name of the genus, use a shortened form for later mentions. This is often just the first letter of the genus name, followed by a full stop. This is an exception to the general rule for abbreviations.

When there are several genera that start with the same letter, include the second letter in the abbreviation.

Refer to classification systems to help you name plants and animals

Plants and animals are classified in a hierarchy from general to specific. The style you use is set by where the name is in the hierarchy:

• Names down to genus level start with capital letters.
• Species names are in lower case.
• Genus and species names are in italics.

The examples in the table show the classification for:

• a plant, lemon-scented myrtle
• an animal, the platypus.

Scientific names often have Latin endings

The scientific names of plants and animals often derive from Latin. Check the spelling when you use them.

It can help to recognise spelling patterns:

• The family names of plants usually end in ‘ceae’.
• The family names of animals usually end in ‘idae’.

All classification names above genus level are in roman type and take initial capitals.

Scientific names can include the name of a person

Technical content often includes the name of the person who first described the species.

The name and date, if they are included, appear in roman type.

There is a standard form for writing the person’s name. In this example, ‘F.Muell.’ is a standard abbreviation in biology – it uses full stops and has no spaces. Check a biology dictionary if you are not certain.

Plants and animals are sometimes allocated to a different genus from the one they were given when they were first described. In this case, the name and date appear in parentheses after the genus and species name.

Subcategories of species are usually abbreviated

For plants, there are 5 taxonomic categories below species level:

• subspecies (abbreviated as 'subsp.' for a single subspecies and 'subspp.' for more than one subspecies)
• variety (abbreviated as 'var.')
• subvariety (abbreviated as 'subvar.')
• form (abbreviated as 'f.')
• subform (abbreviated as 'subf.')

The abbreviations are in roman type and lower case. The subspecies and varietal names themselves are in italics.

If the species or variety is unknown or unspecified, there is no word after the abbreviation.

For animals, there is only one taxonomic level below that of species: subspecies. By convention, the abbreviation ‘subsp.’ is not used.

Use specialised resources for more information

Check the names of plants and animals. Make sure the information is up to date.

Use reliable sources such as:

• the Australian National Herbarium’s Australian Plant Name Index
• the Atlas of Living Australia.