Flora
Definition
A systematic account of all plant species in a defined geographic area, with identification keys, descriptions, and distribution information. Examples include Flora of Great Britain (Stace), Flora of North America, and the Flora of India series.
- Content
- Systematic account of plant species in a defined area
- Includes
- Identification keys, descriptions, distribution data
- UK example
- Flora of Great Britain (Stace)
- Other examples
- Flora of North America, Flora of India series
Common questions
Why does a forensic botanist rely on a regional flora rather than a general plant identification guide?+
A regional flora is built specifically around the species actually present in that geographic area, with identification keys tuned to distinguish local look-alikes, which produces more reliable identification of trace plant evidence than a broader, non-regional guide.
Can a flora alone confirm where a plant fragment recovered as evidence originated?+
A flora confirms which species are known to occur in a region and helps identify the specimen, but pinpointing origin further usually needs additional evidence, such as distribution maps within the flora combined with habitat or seasonal data specific to the case.
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...
- Dichotomous Key
- A botanical identification tool presenting paired contrasting descriptions at each step. The user selects the description matching the specimen and follows the...
- 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...