Biol 332, Spring 2010, Week 2 Name: ______________________________

Keying concepts

Perhaps one of the most important things to remember about keying: do not get too caught up in
the details!

In a good key, there are usually several to many points (characters) that are listed for each
comparison (couplet). This does not mean that you have to positively identify each and every
one of these in your specimen. The idea is to have multiple characters to compare just in case
one or more is unknown, obscure or otherwise indiscriminate. This allows you to go with the
choice that best fits your specimen by choosing the one that mostly fits. This does not mean that
it will perfectly fit!

Here is a hypothetical example:

Your specimen: A large shrubby plant with flat, fuzzy green leaves with rounded tips. The leaves
are one at each node (alternate). The plant also has small black fruit with two to three large
brown seeds inside. You tasted the fruit and it is pretty good!

Suddenly you notice that your belly hurts and you wonder, “Could this plant be poisonous?!”
Immediately you pull out your handy plant key to find out what it is…

You start keying this thing out and you get to the following dichotomy:

1a. Plant a shrub to small tree arising from multiple trunks at base, bark papery and smooth;
leaves dark green, alternate, oblanceolate to ovate, slightly hirsute; flowers inconspicuous,
green/white, ovary superior; fruit purple to black, seeds large, few.

Diospyros texana. Fruit edible; try one!

1b. Plant herbaceous to small shrubs, usually reddish fleshy stems; leaves glossy green,
sometimes purplish, elliptic to ovate, glabrous; flowers greenish, petals absent; fruit dark
purple, seeds small, many.

Phytolacca americana. Fruit poisonous; do not eat for any reason except suicide.

Look at it this way: There are four main comparisons to worry about and they are in the same
order for each plant: 1) habit, 2) leaf, 3) flower, 4) fruit. These are boxed out on the same key on
the next page.
Here’s the same key with each of the four points boxed out:

1a. Plant a shrub to small tree arising from multiple trunks at base, bark papery and smooth;
leaves dark green, alternate, oblanceolate to ovate, slightly hirsute;
flowers inconspicuous, green/white, ovary superior;
fruit purple to black, seeds large, few.

Diospyros texana. Fruit edible; try one!

1b. Plant herbaceous to small shrubs, usually reddish fleshy stems;

leaves glossy green, sometimes purplish, elliptic to ovate, glabrous;
flowers greenish, petals absent;
fruit dark purple, seeds small, many.

Phytolacca americana. Fruit poisonous; do not eat for any reason except suicide.

We can simplify this a bit, to summarize each major point:

1a. shrub/tree; leaves green/alternate/oblance./hirsute; flowers greenish; fruit black/seeds large

1b. herb. shrub; leaves glossy green/elliptic/glabrous; flowers greenish; fruit black/seeds small

Now, simply compare each pair of points, one at a time and decide on one or the other. If you
don’t know, don’t worry! Simply leave these as questionable.

1a. shrub/tree; leaves green/alternate/oblance./hirsute; flowers small; fruit black/seeds large

? ?
1b. herb. shrub; leaves glossy green/elliptic/glabrous; flowers w/o petals; fruit black/seeds small

Based on what we know, the first point is still marginally questionable, so just leave it be. The
second is pretty clear, particularly because our leaves are rounded and fuzzy. The third point is
also unknown because we did not see flowers. With four, both are black, but ours definitely has
large seeds.

Now, add it up! Two for 1a.; two questionable; zero for 1b. Based on this, it would be safe to
say that 1a. is the correct choice. You live!