cultivar
KUL-tih-vahr
/ˈkʌltɪvɑːr/
A plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.
Refers specifically to human-bred varieties, as opposed to wild botanical varieties.
The story behind the word. Coined in 1918 by the American botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey, who merged the words 'cultivated' and 'variety' to create a precise term for plants that owe their existence to human propagation.
Word relationships
- variety: In loose speech they are synonyms, but botanically, a variety occurs naturally in the wild, while a cultivar is created by humans.
- strain: Strain is more commonly used for bacteria, fungi, or viruses, whereas cultivar is strictly for cultivated plants.
- wildtype: Wildtype refers to the natural, uncultivated form of a species as it exists in nature.
Commonly confused with
- hybrid: A hybrid is a cross between two different species, while a cultivar is any selected variety (which may or may not be a hybrid).
Word family
- cultivars (noun): Plural form of cultivar.
Collocations
- resistant cultivar
- commercial cultivar
- new cultivar
Example sentences
- "This specific cultivar of tomato is highly resistant to common garden pests." Agricultural research paper
- "The orchardist selected three different apple cultivars to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the fall." Orchard planning guide
Memory hook
Cultivar = CULTIvated VARiety. Cultivated variety.
When not to use
Do not use for wild plants that evolved naturally without human intervention.
Fun facts
- The 'Gala' apple and the 'Granny Smith' apple are two of the most famous apple cultivars in the world, each bred for specific tastes and textures.
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