[ Back to Part 1 of my story (if you missed it). ]
Well, as I was sharing with you, I finally decided to figure out this whole “key” thing-y with a field guide. As I began looking at each field guide, I found some which used a dichotomous key. Okay, so what is a “dichotomous key” anyway?
That is a key which uses pairs of statements about a plant’s characteristics. You choose one statement which then points to another pair of statements. And your choice with this second pair points to a third pair of statements. You just keep going until you reach the end . . . and the field guide gives you the name of the genus and/or species of the plant. (It’s kind of like following a flowchart.)
Then there’s the “pictorial key” method. This one uses photos of a plant’s parts and you have to work through comparing your mystery plant’s parts (leaves, stem, etc.) with the photos.
And, of course, there are more types of keys out there . . .
One by one, I have studied each of these keys. Now I can efficiently use a field guide to search for that new plant. I get excited when I successfully utilize the key and quickly find the answer to my question. (I’ve even been known to jump up and down when I figure out the plant’s name.)
I’m ready to help you learn about these different types of keys, too.
I know many people find it easiest to learn new material by following along with a friend or mentor who can show them the way. That’s what I decided to do for you. I’ve created a set of six videos to clearly demonstrate how to use each of these types of keys.
Angelyn
