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In nineteenth century works such as the '' Prodromus '' of de Candolle and the '' Genera Plantarum '' of Bentham & Hooker, the word ''ordo'' did indicate taxa that are now given the rank of family. Contemporary French works used the word "famille" for these same taxa. In the first international ''Rules'' of Botanical Nomenclature of 1906 the word family (''familia'') was assigned to this rank, while the term "order" (''ordo'') was reserved for a higher rank, for what in the nineteenth century had often been named a ''cohors'' (plural ''cohortes'').

Some plant families retain the name they were given as pre-Linnaean natural groups, recognised by Linnaeus as "natural orders" in his natural classification (e.g. ''Palmae'' or ''Labiatae''). Such names are known as Descriptive family names.