Identifying a Plant Flashcards
1
Q
Why do we need to identify plants?
A
- To know which is the right plant to use, or avoid
- See ecological effects by humans, maintain biodiversity
2
Q
How many flowering plants are there? How many used by people?
A
- 352, 000 flowering plants
- 20,000 used by people
3
Q
Scientific identification is based traditionally on what?
A
- Physical structures
- From observation and comparison
- ie flower structure for flowering plants
4
Q
A species is identified by what?
A
- A binomial scientific name
- Genus species (authority) i.e. Lillian superbum L.
- Authority, L as in Linneaus
5
Q
How many plant genera are there, and how many families in the Plant List?
A
- 15,000 genera
- 405 families
6
Q
How is each species identified as an individual?
A
- Through a type specimen
- Documented description and herbarium specimen
7
Q
What are methods for determining identification?
A
- Taxonomic keys, i.e. dichotomous
- DNA sequences
8
Q
Why are plants tricky to identify?
A
- Can have great variability in one species
- Close species can often interbreed
