A taxonomic rank below subspecies, representing minor variations within a species or subspecies, often based on small morphological differences. In botany, variety is more commonly used than in zoology and often indicates cultivated forms.
From Latin 'varietas' meaning 'difference' or 'diversity,' adopted into botanical taxonomy in the 18th century. The term reflects the recognition that even within species, there can be consistent, heritable variations worth naming and studying.
Plant varieties are often the result of human selection - like the hundreds of apple varieties that all belong to the same species (Malus domestica) but taste completely different! It shows how much variation can exist within a single species.
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