Plant Families

•Small, scaly leaves; separate male/femalecones; conesusually woody (Juniperus fleshy rather than woody scales)•Younggrowth may have distinctly pointed, blue needles

•Keys: Leaves simple and alternate•Unisexualflowers on different plants•Emergenceof catkins/aments is diagnostic for species•Populus species are trees; most, not all, Salixspecies are shrubs

•Keys: Often scurfy or roughappearance caused by presence of glands or short hairs; flowers very small usually in form of smallglobules located along stalk, often in leaf axils; flowers have sepals but rarely petals;variety of leaf shapes, but often “goosefoot” in shape. Generainclude: Chenopodium(lamb’s quarters, goosefoot); Atriplex (saltbush); Salicornia(glasswort, pickleweed)—

•Keys: 4-petaled flowers always inform of “X” or “H”; seed pods always in radial pattern around stalk; pods maytake different forms, which are diagnostic for species. •Generainclude: Alyssum(alyssum); Brassica(mustard); Lepidium (pepperweed); Sisymbrium(tumblemustard); Lesquerella(blasdderpod); Nasturtium (watercress); Cardaria(hoarycress)

•Keys: Flowers regular (define), almostalways with 5 petals and 5 sepals •Subfamilies look different in morphologyexcept for flowers; seedsmay take on different forms by species/subfamily. Generainclude: Dryas(dryads), Rubus(black-, rasp-, thimbleberry), Potentilla (cinquefoil),Physocarpus (ninebark

•Leaves often evergreen and in bunches atend of twigs; often leathery, shiny••Flowers mostly red or white bell-shaped; fruitsberries, capsules or drupes

•Simple leaves mostly alternate orspiraling;tend tobe shiny on top, clearly (deeply) veined, and somewhat leathery and thick. •Flowers are small, whitish or greenish, usuallyinshowy clusters. •Rhamnaceae and Ericaceae easiest to tellapart when flowers present. Rhamnaceae: showy clusters Ericaceae: bell-shaped

•Keys: Most spp. have distinctiveirregular flowers (banner, wings, keel); seed-bearing pods that open along twoseams to release seeds; many have pinnate or palmate leaves, but some raceme ortrifoliate. •Generainclude: Dalea(prairie clover, indigo bush), Psoralea(scurf pea), Robinia (locust), Trifolium(clover), Vicia(vetch), Cytisus(Scotch broom), Pueraria (kudzu)

•Keys: Square stalks and simple, oppositeleaves; mostly aromatic (volatile oils); flowers irregular -- corolla (petals)tubular and 2-lipped, usually with 2 lobes on top and 3 (sometimes 2) below;sepals 5-toothed and often 2-lipped•Includesmany kitchen spices; other genera include Hyssopus(hyssop), Lavandula(lavender), Mentha (field mint), Monarda (beebalm), Prunella(self-heal)

•Keys: “Composite” or “head”inflorescence; ray and/or disk flowers•Inflorescence subtended by bracts (modifiedleaves), may be diagnostic for genus

Onlyray flowers, strap-like with flat often toothy outer edge; milky sap (not allmilky are Asteraceae): include hawksbeard (Crepis),skeletonweed (Lygodesmia), sowthistle (Sonchus),dandelion (Taraxacum

–ArtichokeTribe: tight wrapping of bracts, w/ bracts usually prickly; includes Carduus(thistle), Centaurea(knapweed), Cirsium (thistle), Onopordum(Scotch thistle)–RagweedTribe: odd in that are unisexual; includes Ambrosia(ragweed), Xanthium(cocklebur)–EverlastingTribe: disk but no ray flowers; papery bracts often colored and thin, dry andtranslucent (not odorous like Camomile Tribe); includes Anaphalis(pearly everlasting), Antennaria (pussytoes)

•Keys: Monocots (so parallel leaf veins);flowers regular (symmetrical); usually 3 petals, 3 sepals, 6 stamens; usuallyunderground bulbs. •Generainclude: Xerophyllum(beargrass), Allium (onion, garlic, chives), Fritillaria(yellowbell, leopard lily), Lilium(wood lily); Asparagus (asparagus), Clintonia(Queen’s cup), Streptopus (twisted stalk), Trillium(birthroot, wake robin); Agave (agave), Aloe (aloe)

–1-5needles wrapped together at base by small membrane (“fascicles”). •Pinusspecies are differentiated by the number of needles in a bundle, the length ofthe needles, and nature of the cones.

–Brightgreen, deciduous needles arranged in membranous spiral at branch buds. •short needles are bundled in a fan-likearrangement.

–Soft,single needles. •Abiesspecies have relatively soft needles without a hard, sharp tip. When needlesare removed, they leave a tiny, circular scar on the twig. Needles areindividual.••The cones of Abiesperch upright in the top branches of the tree.

–(Usually)sharp stiff pointed, single needles. •Each needle comes off a short peg thatremains on the twig if the needle is removed. Spruce cones, generally with paper-thinbracts, hang down

Short,flat, blunt needles on small stems

–soft,blunt needles about 1 inch; “rat’s tail” peeping out from cone scales. •Single needles often extend from aroundthe twig like bottle brush bristles and are soft rather than stiff and sharp.Lower side of needle has two white “tracks.”••The most distinguishing characteristic isthe trident-shaped bracts that extend from under the scales.