The Scientific Classification System

• The world is filled with millions of living things. To help make sense of it all, scientists developed a system whereby organisms bearing similar features were grouped together and given a common name. The naming system looks like an upside down pyramid -- those at the top are distantly related and have only the most basic features in common, while those at the bottom are closely related and share a number of distinct features. When a specimen such as the foxglove goes through the classification process, scientists begin at the top of the pyramid and use the most apparent features to determine which kingdom it belongs to. They then work progressively towards the bottom of the pyramid to establish the correct genus and species.
  
  

Kingdom, Division and Class

• First and foremost, the foxglove is a plant. Members of the plant kingdom are identified by their ability to use their foliage to produce energy via photosynthesis. As members of the plant kingdom, foxgloves can be further distinguished by the fact that they use seeds as a reproductive mechanism -- not all plants do. Within the seed-producing division, specimens can be classed into those who produce flowers, such as the foxglove, and those that do not, such as the pine tree.
  
  

Subclass

• Flowering plants are subdivided according to the type of seedlings they produce. The foxglove seed is dicotyledonous; it contains two seed leaves called cotyledons, rather than one. These leaves nourish the embryo and encourage germination. When a dicot sprouts, the seedling bears a pair of fat leaves that nourish the young plant. Additionally, dicots share a number of common traits, such as broad leaves with netted veins and plants that bear a centralized tap root.
  
  

Family

• Foxgloves are a member of the Scrophulariaceae, or figwort, family. There are more than 2,800 species of figworts worldwide, many of which flourish in the temperate, mountainous regions of the Pacific Northwest. The majority of these plants were originally grown for medicinal purposes and were historically used to treat hemorrhoids, politely referred to as "figs." Nowadays, the only member of the figwort family that is grown for curative reasons is the foxglove -- the natural source of the drug digitalis.
  
  

Genus and Species

• In the scientific community, all living things are known by their genus and species. This system of binomial nomenclature is intended to describe the appearance of a specimen or to reflect a common name, country of origin, or distinguishing feature. The most familiar foxglove is scientifically known as the "Digitalis purpurea." This name represents the medicinal aspects of the plant while paying homage to its lovely purple or lavender flowers.