This is a text document. To return to my home page, copy this address to your browser: https://www.GoodFolksToMow.com Would you like to help implement this project? Your comments are appreciated! Respectfully, Donald Bassman, author don@GoodFolksToMow.com ============================================= A PROPOSED FORMAT FOR A DESCRIPTIVE PLANT KEY Identifying plants can be tough. My memory is not great. My specimans may lack the features used for identification. Some crucial features used for identification are obscure. The solution to this problem is use of a descriptive key which is very forgiving. Whatever characteristics which apply to the unknown plant could simply be compared to a database of known plants. In short, the Binary Tree method is replaced by Leafing Through. I include a proposed descriptive key below. Diagrams illustrating technical terms and a glossary have yet to be linked to the form. I authorize use of this key for any non-commercial, non-profit purpose. To describe a plant, each characteristic which applies would be checked off. The forms could be stored electronically in a crunched format with one bit representing each characteristic. ============================================ WORKSHEET Latin and Common Names of PLANT: ======================================================= ---GENERAL LEAF CHARACTERISTICS-- EVERGREEN DECIDUOUS OPPOSITE ALTERNATE WHORLED FRAGRANCE PLEASANT UNPLEASANT COLOR (UPPER) DULL GLOSSY OR BRIGHT LIGHT DARK YELLOW GREEN RED UNUSUAL COLORING (TINGED, FLECKED, MOTTLED, ETC..) LOWER SURFACE DIFFERS SIZE LESS THAN 1 INCH 1-2 2-4 4-6 6-10 MORE THAN 10 INCHES ---CONIFEROUS LEAVES------------ SCALE-LIKE, FUSED SINGLE BLUNT SHARP AWL-SHAPED FLAT 3-SIDED 4-SIDED THORNLIKE PRICKLY STALKED 2-RANK 3-RANK 2 NEEDLES PER BUNDLE 3 4 5 MANY 1 WHITE LINE ON LOWER SURFACE 2 WHITE LINES ON LOWER SURFACE ---NON-CONIFEROUS LEAVES ----------- SPINEY TENDRILS STIPULES AURICLES GLANDS CILIATE SIMPLE PALMATE-COMPOUND PINATE-COMPOUND MARGIN ENTIRE SINUATE PALMATE-LOBED PALMATE-PARTED PINATE-LOBED PINATE-PARTED UPPER LEAF TEETH SERRATE DENTATE CRENATE LOWER LEAF TEETH SERRATE DENTATE CRENATE SHAPE NARROW ELIPTIC ROUND RENIFORM OVATE VEIN NETTED PINATE PALMATE PARALLEL BASE ROUNDED CUNEATE TRUNCATE OBLIQUE CORDATE SAGITATE HASTITE APEX ACUMINATE ACUTE OBTUSE CUSPIDATE EMARGINATE TRUNCATE LOWER SURFACE STICKY WAXY SCABROUS PUBESCENT TOMENTOSE HISPID SCURFY GLANDULAR ------TWIGS------------------- SLENDER STOUT SPURS PRESENT WHITENED WINGED STALKS HAIRY SAP MILKY SAP PITCHY SCALEY ROUGH SMOOTH PEELING COLOR SILVER RED BROWN GREEN COLOR OF WOOD WHITE YELLOW PITH HOLLOW SOLID CHAMBERED THORNS BRISTLY PAIRED BRANCHED LESS THAN ONE HALF INCH LONG ONE HALF TO ONE INCH MORE THAN ONE INCH LONG> ----- HABIT ------------------ CREEPING OR CLIMBING SHRUBBY TREE SPREADING PYRAMIDAL NARROW VASE SHAPED NEAT SCRAGGLY OPEN DENSE LOWER BRANCHES DESCENDING LOWER BRANCHES ASCENDING UPPER BRANCHES DESCENDING UPPER BRANCHES ASCENDING BRANCH TIPS DROOP BRANCH TIPS ASCEND TRUNK DIVIDED -----LEAF SCARS----------------- NONE CIRCULAR CRESCENT 4-SIDED NARROW U-SHAPED V-SHAPED OVAL TRIANGULAR SHIELD 3-LOBED VASCULAR BUNDLE 1 2 3 NUMEROUS RAISED RAISED WHERE OPPOSITE SCARS MEET FRINGED BELOW BUDS ABOVE BUDS SURROUNDED BY BUDS ON LINE WITH BOTTOM OF BUD STIPULE SCAR ABSENT LESS THAN HALF ENCIRCLE TWIG ABOUT HALF MORE THAN HALF PITH PARTITION NEAR ----BUDS------------------------- END BUDS TRUE END BUDS FALSE BUDS VISIBLE BUDS NOT VISIBLE LARGE SMALL GLOBULAR BLUNT SLENDER SHARP 4-ANGLED STALKED TIGHT AGAINST STEM STICKY HAIRY PAPERY COLOR RED BROWN GREEN BLACK SCALES NONE ONE CAPLIKE ONE NOT CAPLIKE TWO THREE 2-3 PAIR 4-PAIR SEVERAL ----CONES------------------------ UPRIGHT ON BRANCH PRICKLY THORNY RED BERRYLIKE BLUE BERRYLIKE PERSISTANT ON TREE SHAPE STOUT SLENDER TAPERING GLOBULAR BELL-SHAPED SCALES ROUNDED SHARP POINTED BRACTS BETWEEN SCALES STIFF FLEXIBLE SIZE LESS THAN ONE INCH 1 - 3 3-6 6-10 MORE THAN TEN INCHES COLOR PURPLE-GREEN RED-BROWN BROWN GREY-BROWN ----BARK------------------------- RIDGES SCALES FURROWS SHREDDY PEELING SMOOTH CRACKED THICK PAPERY HORIZONTALLY BANDED VERTICALLY STRIPED MOTTLED LENTICELS HORIZONTAL SPECKLED COLOR DARK LIGHT GREY WHITE BROWN RED-BROWN RED GREEN ------SEED---------------------- ROUND OVAL RIDGES HAIRS WINGED SIZE LESS THAN ONE QUARTER INCH ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH GREATER THAN ONE HALF INCH ------FRUIT---------------------- FLESHY BERRY DRUPE POME DRY - DEHISCENT LEGUME FOLLICLE CAPSULE SILIQUE DRY - INDEHISCENT ACHENE GRAIN SAMARA NUT COLOR BLUE BLACK RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN WHITE ------REPRODUCTIVE PARTS----------- PLACENTATION AXIAL PARIETAL MARGINAL BASAL FREE CENTRAL OVARY SIMPLE COMPOUND SUPERIOR HALF-INFERIOR INFERIOR FLOWER PERFECT IMPERFECT FRAGRANT COMPLETE INCOMPLETE MONOECIOUS DIOECIOUS SPURS GLANDS BRACTS COROLLA CLAW & BLADE FUNNELFORM ROTATE CAMPANULATE SALVERFORM CYLINDRICAL REGULAR IRREGULAR INFLORESCENCE SPIKE RACEME PANICLE CORYMB UMBEL HEAD CYME SPADIX CATKIN SOLITARY COMBINATION BLOOM TIME JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC COLOR BLUE BLACK RED GREEN YELLOW BROWN WHITE