How To Write Genus Species Name. Modern binomial nomenclature dictates that the genus name is capitalized while the species name is not. Many virus gene names are written in italics and are traditionally 3 letters, lowercase, although some will be written in all caps, roman.

When referring to a bacterium in a paper, the writer should underline or italicize the names in the text. There is no other option. A plant species is a group of plants in which two individuals can produce fertile offspring.