Plant Identification

"Plant Identification Activity Now you are going to have the opportunity to do field work and practice identifying local plants. You should use a regional field guide to complete this portion of the activity. Follow these steps when identifying 10-15 plants: 1. Find a plant specimen of your choice, or as specified by your teacher, to identify. 2. Observe the main structures of the plant. 3. Try to identify the plant by its fruits or flowers (if not present, continue to step 5). Note the flower’s color, shape, size, and inflorescence type. 4. Match your observations of the flowers to the descriptions of the flowers provided in your regional field guide. Observe flower color, inflorescence type, and size. 5. Observe the leaf arrangement, shape, and size. Recall the difference between simple and compound leaves and opposite, alternate and whorled leaf arrangement. 6. Draw or photograph each specimen. Be detailed in your drawings and try to include distinct characteristics for each specimen. 7. Record your observations in the Plant Identification table. 8. After filling out the table, determine the scientific name for each specimen."