Expert: Walter Hintz - 10/1/2006

Question

-------------------------
Still can't seem to figure this out!!! What would be the trees steps
Followup To

Question -

-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
How to make a dichotomous key with the following leaves: horse chestnut, pine(needles), rose, maple, honey locust, holly, english ivy, corn, oak and basswood.

Answer -
Hi Kris;  I will not make the key for you I will show you how to get started.  Such keys are called artificial keys.  First you determine then individual characteristics of each tree.  I would start out like this
 1. Trees..........................................  5  1. Shrubs and herbaceous plants........................2
 2. Monocot- Leaves blaselike......................corn
 2. Dicot leaves not bladelike..........................3
 3 Plant a shrub.Toothed leaves.....................holly
 3. Leaves not toothed................................4.
 4. Ground plant......................................ivy
 4. Woody shrub with sharo spines....................rose
 5.
 5.
      Now do the trees.  If you still have a problem let m eknow.

Answer -
Hi Kris
There is no followup question here

Answer
There are  6 trees left so you have to find distinguishing characteristics between them.
 Here are some I would use
  Pine is an evergreen and all others are not
  Horsechestut and locust have compound leaves and the others have simple leaves
  Maple has a simple three lobed leaf
  Basswood has fine teeth
  Oak does not
 I will start you again
   5 Tree an evergreen........................Pine
   5 Not an evergreen.........................6
   6.Leaves compound..........................7
   6. Leaves simple............................8
   7. Leaves palmately compound.........horsechestnut
   7. Leaves pinnately compound..............locust
 See if you can finish now