Dichotomous Key Assignment

A.Plant does not produce flowers….Plant 1

A’. Plant does produce flowers

  1. Plant does not produce flowers…Plant 4

B’. Plant produces flowers

  1. Plant produces purple flowers…Plant 3

C’. Plant does not produce purple flowers

D. Plant produces white flowers..Plant 2

3 Comments

  1. Tometria Jackson

    A. Plants without woody stems
    B. Plants with flowers
    C. Flowers with petals
    D. Petals white
    D! Petals purple
    E. Flowers large
    E! Flowers small
    F. Flowers are produced singly
    F! Flowers grow in clusters
    C! Flowers without petals
    G. Pistils and stamens visible
    G! Reproductive structures not visible
    B! Plants without flowers
    H. Leaves glabrous (smooth)
    I. Pinnately compound leaf pattern
    I! Leaves in palmate formation
    H! Leaves strigose (stiff hairs or bristles)
    J. Produces cones
    J! Doesn’t produce cones
    K. Plants over 24 inches in height
    K! Plants under 24 inches in height
    A! Plants with woody stems

  2. Dear Tracy,
    well done. Think about each of the leads as a means of dividing the plants into mutually exclusive piles of plants. A. Plants lacking flowers …. plant 1. A’ Plants with flowers (this one would include all the remaining plants). Now below A’ you can further divide it into those B. Flowers without petals … plant 4, B’. Flowers with petals. C. Petals white….plant 2. C’. Petals purple …. plant 3.

    Best, Steffi.

    1. Tracy Christopherson

      Oops, that was an oversight in terminology. Yes, I had intended to say A’. 1. Plant does not produce “petals” instead of flowers. Yikes! Thanks for your comments.

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