A common name can describe a whole group
Oak is a familiar name, but it does not identify a single species. Quercus is the oak genus. Starting here gives you a group to explore rather than picking one oak species for you. Kew’s Plants of the World Online is a companion source for checking plant names and their taxonomic treatment.
Move from genus to species
Open Quercus in the map and choose See what’s inside. Inspect the names beneath the genus, then select one to focus its place in the tree. You can also search directly for Quercus robur, the English oak. Compare a genus name with a two-part species name: the first part of Quercus robur tells you its genus.
Try a comparison
Choose one oak entry and pin its information card. Move outward using Back, then inspect another entry from the branch. What changes in the name and description? Copy a link to return to either destination. If no photograph or description is available, you can still follow the taxonomy and use the web-search control to find more information.
Names and boundaries can change
Plant names can have synonyms, and sources may use different classifications. A taxonomy map is a representation of the data it uses, not a guarantee that every source agrees on a name. Circle size does not show a tree’s height, its geographic range, or its abundance. Check a botanical reference for those questions.