A plant's scientific name is composed of which two components?

A plant's scientific name consists of two key components: the genus and the species. This binomial nomenclature system, established by Carl Linnaeus, provides a universal method of naming organisms, reducing confusion that can arise from common names. The genus refers to a group of closely related species, while the species identifies the specific organism within that genus. For instance, in the scientific name Rosa rubiginosa, "Rosa" is the genus and "rubiginosa" is the species, together uniquely identifying that particular plant. The other options provided relate to broader taxonomic categories that do not directly form a scientific name. Therefore, understanding the significance of genus and species in plant identification is crucial for studying horticulture and botany.