What is the meaning of the words "flora" and "fauna"?

"Flora" refers to the plant life of a particular region or time period, while "fauna" alludes to the animal population. The word "flora" originates from the Latin "flor," meaning "flower." The word "fauna" was made popular by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, who paired it with the term "flora."

Linnaeus devoted much of his work as a scientist to naming and classifying plants and animals. Both a botanist and zoologist, he published "Systema Naturae," a manuscript regarded as the foundation of modern taxonomy.

The flora and fauna of a particular setting reveals much about a place or time period. Its indigenous plant and animal life forms help set apart one area or era from another.