Article
Article
Plant keys
Article By:
Pinkava, Donald J. Department of Botany, Arizona State University Herbarium, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
Last reviewed:January 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.523200
Artificial analytical constructs for identifying plants. The identification, nomenclature, and classification of plants are the domain of plant taxonomy, and one basic responsibility of taxonomists is determining if the plant at hand is identical to a known plant. The dichotomous key provides a shortcut for identifying plants that eliminates searching through numerous descriptions to find one that fits the unknown plant.
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