Editing Cultivar (section)

=== Cultigens ===

{{Main|Cultigen}}

[[File:Triticum aestivum, Gewone tarwe.jpg|thumb|upright|Bread wheat, ''[[Triticum aestivum]]'', is considered a cultigen, and is a distinct species from other [[Triticum|wheats]] according to the [[biological species concept]]. Many different cultivars have been created within this cultigen. Many other cultigens are not considered to be distinct species, and can be denominated otherwise.]]

The words ''[[cultigen]]'' and ''cultivar'' may be confused with each other. A ''cultigen'' is any plant that is deliberately selected for or altered in cultivation, as opposed to an ''[[indigen]]''; the ''Cultivated Plant Code'' states that cultigens are "maintained as recognisable entities solely by continued propagation".<ref>Cultivated Plant Code Art. 2.3 {{Harvnb|Brickell|2009|p=1}}</ref> Cultigens can have names at any of many taxonomic ranks, including those of [[Grex (horticulture)|grex]], [[species]], [[cultivar group]], [[variety (botany)|variety]], [[forma (botany)|form]], and cultivar; and they may be plants that have been altered in cultivation, including by [[Genetically modified organism|genetic modification]], but have not been formally denominated.<ref>{{Harvnb|Spencer|Cross|Lumley|2007|p=47}}</ref> A cultigen or a component of a cultigen can be accepted as a cultivar if it is recognisable and has stable characters. Therefore, all cultivars are cultigens, because they are cultivated, but not all cultigens are cultivars, because some cultigens have not been formally distinguished and named as cultivars.