Weber's Colorado Flora: It is specific for our area and is meant to be used in the field. It fits in your pocket. Intermountain Flora: Covers the Rockies to the Sierras, contains keys, full descriptions, and drawings. Seven large format volumes. Below is the entry for Arnica cordifolia from Intermountain Flora. The full scientific name is |
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Take heart, even experts have trouble identifying plants. Notice that Rydberg, an expert botanist, named this plant A. pumila in 1900 and A. humilis in 1927. What might account for these taxonomic errors? One specimen (pumila) is now said to be a "variety" of A. cordifolia, not a full species on its own. "What is a species", i.e., when does a plant differ sufficiently from another to warrant species status? |
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The Flora of North America Project was begun in 1982 to produce the
most up to date, FNA is the standard for plant identification and plant names.
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Example of use of FNA key, first attempts to name a plant, name changes, and virtual herbariums: Flora of North America, Pinaceae Missouri Botanical Garden Picea pungens herbarium specimens: Picea pungens specimen in Utah Valley State College Herbarium There are a number of other virtual herbariums on-line.
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What are some Common Keying Problems
and 1) Jumping to conclusions. Don't key with the plant already identified in your mind. Let the key identify the plant. 2) Not understanding terminology. Continually use the glossary. 3) Focusing on one, instead of all, characteristics in the couplet. The first characteristic listed is the most important characteristic, but all characteristics should be looked at. 4) Assuming that the maturity of the plant you are keying coincides with the maturity of the plant described in the key. For example, hairs on leaves may be quite prominent when the leaf emerges, longer as the plant matures, and not present later in the season. The key might say, "leaves with wooly hairs". Another example: basal leaves are often a diagnostic characteristic but may not be present at flowering time ("anthesis"). The better the key, the more such varying characteristics are discussed. 5) Keying a plant at one particular stage of its development, usually flowering time, when, in fact, identifying that plant can only be done by observing a number of different characteristics (leaf buds, flower, and seed) through the growing season. (Some plants, Salix, for example, need to be observed throughout their growing season. Astragalus are difficult or impossible to identify without the pods.) 6) Making an incorrect choice at a couplet. Remember the couplet number where you doubted your choice and restart keying from that couplet. 7) Trying to key a plant that is not in the key. Use several keys. Always confirm in Weber. 8) Trying to key from a
photograph or from memory. Key in the field. Collect 9) Assuming the plant is not found in the county you are searching. Some keys list the county that the plant is found in, but sometimes this list is only of plants found in a herbarium. The plant may be in your county but not listed in your key. 10) Assuming that the key is incorrect. Doubt your judgment and use several keys. 11) Assuming that the key is correct. Keys in a guide book vary in quality. Use several keys. 12) Not checking your result in Weber. The most important
guidelines for keying?
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| EASILY CONFUSED SPECIES
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Erigeron Ranunculaceae Ranunculus Scrophulariaceae Castilleja Convallariaceae (Mayflower Family) Maianthemum
and Fabaceae Astragalus Apiaceae (Umbelliferae, Parsley Family) Cymopteris, Lomatium, Podistera, and Oreoxis
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Come enjoy and learn about wildflowers on Colorado Native Plant Society field trips. See the CoNPS Southwest Chapter web page for free field trips open to everyone.
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