Plant Identification
Plant identification is a skill built on systematic observation. Candidates should understand botanical nomenclature: genus capitalised, species lowercase, cultivar in single quotes, and the difference between a species, a hybrid (×) and a cultivar. Learn the language of plant description so you can use keys and floras: leaf arrangement (alternate, opposite, whorled), leaf type (simple, compound - pinnate, bipinnate, palmate), margins (entire, serrate, dentate, lobed), venation, phyllotaxis, stipules, and whether leaves are evergreen or deciduous. Flowers reward close reading: symmetry, ovary position (superior or inferior), inflorescence type (raceme, spike, umbel, corymb, panicle, capitulum), and petal and sepal number. Fruit type, bark, habit, buds, scent and habitat all add evidence.
Traps: identifying from a single leaf and ignoring arrangement; confusing similar genera; assuming common names are reliable (they vary by region); and forgetting that cultivars cannot be identified from seed. Questions may give a description and ask for the family or genus, so learn family signatures such as Lamiaceae (square stems, opposite leaves, two-lipped flowers) and Fabaceae (pea flowers, pods).
Worked example: a shrub with opposite, simple, entire leaves, square stems and tubular two-lipped flowers strongly suggests Lamiaceae. Confirm with crushed-leaf aroma and four nutlet fruits before committing. Rule of thumb: record at least five characters - habit, leaf arrangement, leaf shape, margin, and flower or fruit - before naming a plant.