Identification Principles Flashcards
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, species
(King Phillip Came Over For Green Silk)
Angiosperm
Plants with seeds borne in an ovary; consists of two big groups: monocotyledons and dicotyledons.
Apices
Plural of apex; tip of the leaf blade.
Division Class
Taxonomic group below the division level but above the order level.
Clone
Asexually produced organisms that are genetically identical.
Compound Leaf
A leaf with two or more leaflets.
Conifer
A cone-bearing tree or other plant that has its seeds in a structure called a cone.
Cultivar
A cultivated variety of a species that cannot be reproduced without human assistance.
Dicotyledon
Plant with two cotyledons in its embryo.
Division Phylum
Taxonomic group below kingdom level but above class level.
Entire
Term describing a leaf margin without teeth.
Division Family
The taxonomic group under the order level and above the genus level.
Foliage
The leaves of a plant.
Division genus
A taxonomic group of species having similar fundamental traits; botanical classification under the family level and above the species level.
Gymnosperm
A plant with exposed seeds.
Hybrids
A plant resulting from a cross between two or more other plants that are more or less alike.
Hierarchy
A system of ranking and organizing things.
Identification key
Dichotomous guide used to help identify plants and other organisms.
Kingdom
The primary taxonomic group, separating major groups of living organisms (e.g., plants from animals).
Leaf apex
The tip of the leaf blade.
Leaf base
Bottom part of the leaf blade.
MAD Horse
Maple, Ash, Dogwood, Horse Chestnut
Monocotyledon
A plant whose embryo has one seed leaf (cotyledon).
Morphology
Study of the form and structure of living organisms.
Nomenclature
A scientific naming system for living organisms; scientific names or Latin (or Latinized forms of other languages) and written in italics, the genus first (always starting with a capital letter), followed by the specific epithet (always starting with lowercase letter), and together making the species name (e.g., Quercus alba).
Division order
Taxonomic group below class level but above family level.
Phloem
Plant vascular tissue that transports photosynthates and growth regulators; situated on the inside of the bark, just outside the cambium; is bidirectional (transports up and down); compare to xylem.
Division phylum
Primary taxonomic group within a kingdom; the plural is phyla.
Pinnate
Pinnately compound; compound leaf with leaflets along each side of a common axis.
Serrate
Sawtooth margin of a leaf with the teeth pointed forward.
Simple Leaf
A single-bladed leaf; not composed of leaflets.
Division species
A taxonomic group of organisms composed of individuals of the same genus that can reproduce among themselves and have similar offspring.
Specific epithet
The classification name that follows the genus name in scientific nomenclature.
Taxonomy
The science that studies the description, denomination, and classification of living organisms, based on their similarities and differences.
Variety
Naturally occurring subdivision of a species having a distinctdifference and breeding true to that difference.
Xylem
Main water and mineral conducting tissue in trees and other plants; provides structural support, by becoming wood after lignifying; is unidirectional (conducts up only); compare to phloem.
