Dichotomous key
Definition
A botanical identification tool presenting paired contrasting descriptions at each step. The user selects the description matching the specimen and follows the indicated path until reaching a named taxon.
Related terms
- Binomial nomenclature
- The two-part Latin naming system established by Linnaeus: genus name followed by species epithet. Used in all scientific and forensic botanical reports...
- Flora
- A systematic account of all plant species in a defined geographic area, with identification keys, descriptions, and distribution information. Examples include Flora...
- Monograph
- A taxonomic treatment of a single genus or family across its entire global range, providing more depth than a regional flora on...
- Taxon
- Any named group in the classification hierarchy, from kingdom to subspecies. In forensic botany the most relevant levels are family, genus, and...
- Type specimen
- The actual specimen on which the original scientific description of a species was based. Held in a herbarium, it is the reference...
Explained in
- Plant Systematics and Taxonomic KeysA botanical identification tool presenting paired contrasting descriptions at each step. The user selects the description matching the specimen and follows the...