Activity 2

Construction and Use of Taxonomic keys

Specimen determination plays a key role in all taxonomic work. This process involves a)
comparison of plant samples with named plant specimens, and b) determination of the correct name
applicable to that plant. Aids to identification have been developed so that with sufficient training and
practice, researchers and students engaged in taxonomic work, and even the layman, will be able to identify
plant groups in local flora with lesser difficulty. For beginners who would like to embark in this kind of
activity, it is necessary to have at least a working knowledge of plant vegetative and reproductive
terminologies, as well as familiarity with the principles of plant nomenclature.

The names or labels assigned to plants form a part of the system of information retrieval that the
science of Systematics provides, and so in order not to defeat the purpose, accurate identification should
be made at all times. By doing so, valuable knowledge from this information-retrieval mechanism can be
made available to various fields of biology, such as ecology, genetics, biogeography, biochemistry,
physiology, and the like.

The most common way of identifying plants besides consulting a book (example, a monograph),
looking at a stack of previously named herbarium specimens for comparison, or inquiring from an expert,
is through the use of a taxonomic key. A key is a device for identifying an unknown plant; it provides the
correct identity of a specimen by a process of elimination. It is made up of statements that present
contrasting characters, and each time a choice is made, one or more taxa are eliminated.

In using a taxonomic key, the following guidelines (Jones and Luchsinger, 1987) should be
considered:
1) Be sure that the specimen on hand is complete (with vegetative and reproductive characters intact).
2) Select keys appropriate for the plant specimen and for the geographic area where the plant was
obtained.
3) Familiarize yourself with all the technical terms found I each choice. For this purpose, it is essential
that you consult a glossary of vegetative and reproductive terminologies.
4) Always read both choices or both leads of the couplet carefully, observing punctuation.
5) Do not base your decisions on a single observation especially when measurements are involved;
examine several specimens.
6) If you are not confident about which lead to take, try both of them to see where they will lead.
7) If the specimen does not seem to fit the key and all choices are unlikely, it pays to make an educated
guess and retrace your steps.
8) Compare the specimen with an illustration, a technical description, or with a herbarium specimen
as a way of verifying your choices.
9) Always remember that the use of keys becomes easier with practice and familiarity.
10) If the specimen cannot be identified even if it has been carefully keyed out, it should be sent to an
expert for determination.

It is often more practical to use a key which is diagnostic, that is, one that identifies an unknown
plant by presenting only the conspicuous features by which the plant groups can be recognized. Diagnostic
characters are sometimes called “key characters”. Likewise, most keys found in manuals, books, and on-
line are dichotomous, i.e., a pair of contrasting characters at each step is being presented. There are
different formats for arranging the couplets in the key, the most common of which are the bracket and
indented keys. You were already familiarized with these key types in the lecture (both Plant and Animal
Systematics) and have learned that each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless,
these two formats serve their purpose well and therefore have gained general acceptance.

As a Biology student, you should have the knack not only in using a key but also on how to construct
one especially if you plan to undertake a thesis pertaining to inventories and surveys of plant groups
wherein the construction of a key of organisms collected is almost always required. When preparing a key,
bear in mind the following guidelines:
1) Identify all plant groups that will be included in the key.
2) Research on the description of each taxon as this is preliminary to the preparation of a comparison
chart.
3) The key should be dichotomous.
4) The two parts of the couplet should be made up of contradictory statements (i.e., contrasting) so
that one part will apply, and the other part will not.
5) Avoid the use of overlapping ranges or vague generalities in the couplets, for example, “petiole 2
to 6 mm long” versus “petiole 4 to 8 mm long”, or “flower large” versus “flower small”. The two
statements of the couplet should be mutually exclusive.
6) The couplets should preferably be in the form of positive statements. For example, avoid
statements such as “leaves narrow” versus “leaves not narrow”.
7) Use readily observable features (that is, macroscopic, morphological characters), as well as
nonvariable character states when possible. Avoid using geographical location as a sole
separation character.
8) Start both leads of a couplet with the same word (parallel construction), and successive leads with
different words if at all possible.

In this activity, you will be walked through the use and construction of taxonomic keys as
well as review the morphological characteristics of flowering plants.

Name: _________________________________ Date performed: _______________

I. Objective(s):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

II. Materials:

Plant Systematics textbooks

Madulid’s Cyclopedia of Philippine Ornamental Plants
Flora of Manila
Fresh leaves (or pictures) of representative specimens

III. Procedure:

A. CONSTRUCTION OF TAXONOMIC KEY

1. Choose six (6) plants from the list below and construct a taxonomic key based on leaf
morphology. All plants included in the list are available within the PLM campus. Procure one leaf
each from the six plants you have chosen.
2. Your group will decide on the type of key (bracket or indented) that will be constructed. Be sure
to follow the rules in preparing a simple dichotomous key.
3. List of plants for taxonomic key construction:
 Ficus religiosa Lagerstroemia speciosa (banaba)
Polyalthia longifolia (Indian tree) Plumeria rubra/P. acutifolia
Philodendron sp. Pachira aquatica (money tree)
Mangifera indica Bougainvillea spectabilis
Rhoeo spathacea Jatropha integerrima (Shanghai beauty)
Lantana camara Ixora sinensis
4. Include the comparison chart (use back page).

B. USE OF TAXONOMIC KEY

1. For this part of the activity, you will use a set of specimens consisting of 7 species of Sansevieria,
namely, Sansevieria trifasciata var. Laurentii, S. trifasciata var. Hahnii, S. liberiensis, S. cylindrica,
S. masoniana, S. robusta, and S. powellii. In case fresh specimens are not available, refer to the
pictures found on pages 7.
2. By using the taxonomic key found below, key out the Sansevieria plants to their respective species.
The key is a modified version of D. W. Reed’s (1978) Key to Sansevieria, published in the Louisiana
Society of Horticultural Research, 14(2): 30-77, and limited to the use of leaf characters only.

KEY TO SANSEVIERIA

(1) Plant with evident upright stem, leaves arising along entire
length …………………………………………………………… Sansevieria powellii
(1) Plant without evident upright stem, leaves arising from
basal clusters…………………………………………………… 2
(2) Mature leaves barrel-shaped, and channeled only on younger
or basal clusters ………………………………………. Sansevieria cylindrica
(2) Mature leaves flattened and expanded, much wider than
thick ……………………………………………………… 3
(3) Surface of leaves either uniformly green or speckled…….. 4
(3) Surface of leaves indistinctly transversely banded……. Sansevieria liberiensis
(4) Leaves distichous, plain green, and equitant, forming a
fan-shaped growth……………………………………….. Sansevieria robusta
(4) Leaves clumped or arranged in a rosette; variegated..…5
(5) Plants tall, leaves many times longer than wide …………….6
(5) Plants dwarf, with much shorter leaves…………………. Sansevieria trifasciata
var. Hahnii
(6) Leaves lanceolate, irregularly striped and with yellow
margin…………………………………………………….. Sansevieria trifasciata
var. Laurentii
(6) Leaves up to 10 in wide, paddle-shaped…………… Sansevieria masoniana

3. Draw the specimens (Sansevieria species) on the designated boxes below. Write the scientific
name below the drawing.
IV. Results/Observations:

Dichotomous Key to the chosen plant specimens:

Drawings:
V. Guide Questions:

1. In Systematic Biology, what are diagnostic descriptions and analytical descriptions?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Why are morphological characters more commonly used in constructing taxonomic keys?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Why is it important to observe several plant samples rather than just one in keying out a
plant specimen?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. What is meant by a “couplet”?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

5. Cite potential problems in using plant height and color as key characters.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
VI. Conclusion(s):
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

References:

- Brower, A. V. Z., & Schuh, R. T. (2021). Biological systematics. In Cornell University Press
eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7591/cornell/9781501752773.001.0001
- Byju’s. (2022b, July 4). Couplet in taxonomic key means - -. https://byjus.com/question-
answer/couplet-in-taxonomic-key-means/
- Kelley, K., PhD. (n.d.). Plant identification: preparing samples and using keys.
https://extension.psu.edu/plant-identification-preparing-samples-and-using-keys
- Preserving plants through herbarium specimens – CornellBotanicGardens. (2018,
December 11). https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/conserve/plant-
conservation/preserving-plants-through-herbarium-specimens/
- Renner, S. S. (2016). A return to Linnaeus’s focus on diagnosis, not description: the use
of DNA characters in the formal naming of species. Systematic Biology, 65(6), 1085–1095.
https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syw032
- Taxonomic Keys | Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.).
https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/taxonomic-
keys
- Wiens, J. J. (2004). The role of morphological data in phylogeny reconstruction.
Systematic Biology, 53(4), 653–661. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150490472959