﻿HOW 
  TO 
  USE 
  THE 
  KEY 
  AND 
  FLORA 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  determine 
  an 
  unknown 
  species, 
  the 
  student 
  is 
  

   first 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  careful 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  hand. 
  

   After 
  noting 
  in 
  a 
  general 
  way 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  root, 
  

   stem, 
  and 
  leaf, 
  including 
  a 
  cross 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  he 
  

   should 
  study 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  flower, 
  then 
  

   make 
  and 
  draw 
  a 
  cross 
  section 
  and 
  a 
  lengthwise 
  section 
  of 
  it. 
  

   The 
  kind 
  of 
  symmetry 
  of 
  the 
  calyx 
  and 
  corolla, 
  peculiarities 
  

   in 
  the 
  shape, 
  structure, 
  or 
  operation 
  of 
  the 
  essential 
  organs, 
  

   such, 
  for 
  instance, 
  as 
  anthers 
  discharging 
  through 
  chinks 
  in 
  

   the 
  end, 
  should 
  be 
  noted. 
  

  

  Next, 
  the 
  inquirer 
  should 
  look 
  carefully 
  through 
  the 
  key 
  

   to 
  the 
  families. 
  He 
  is 
  first 
  to 
  decide 
  whether 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  

   question 
  is 
  a 
  Gymnosperm 
  or 
  an 
  Angiosperm 
  ; 
  if 
  not 
  a 
  conif- 
  

   erous 
  tree 
  or 
  shrub, 
  it 
  will 
  of 
  course 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  latter 
  

   division. 
  He 
  is 
  then 
  to 
  settle 
  the 
  question 
  whether 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  

   Monocotyledon 
  or 
  a 
  Dicotyledon 
  ; 
  then 
  under 
  what 
  division 
  

   of 
  the 
  group 
  the 
  plant 
  comes 
  ; 
  and, 
  finally, 
  to 
  decide 
  upon 
  its 
  

   family. 
  

  

  Turning 
  now 
  to 
  the 
  page 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  family 
  is 
  described, 
  

   a 
  rapid 
  inspection 
  of 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  genera 
  will 
  

   make 
  it 
  evident 
  to 
  which 
  one 
  the 
  species 
  under 
  examination 
  

   belongs. 
  It 
  may 
  not 
  infrequently 
  prove 
  that 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  

   genera 
  described 
  agree 
  with 
  the 
  plant 
  studied, 
  and 
  in 
  that 
  

   case 
  the 
  student 
  must 
  either 
  consult 
  a 
  larger 
  flora 
  or 
  rest 
  

   satisfied 
  with 
  having 
  determined 
  the 
  family 
  to 
  which 
  his 
  

   specimen 
  belongs. 
  The 
  identification 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  after 
  

  

  1 
  

  

  