Links to Plant Identification Websites
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Dichotomous Key - Trees of the Pacific Northwest
http://oregonstate.edu/trees/dk/index.html
By Oregon State University
This site provides
directions for using the key. It is a
key only for conifers common to the Pacific Northwest. The site provides a
picture and a description of the species identified.
Key for Identifying British
Trees and Shrubs
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/home.html
By Franklyn Perring and John Hewitson (Science and Plants in Schools)
This site has a lot of
links to go through to get to the identification. It provides a description of
the terms and uses large clear pictures without extra words. It provides a
practice demonstration with a given branch.
The search initially splits between simple and compound leaves. This site provides British plants. This
website is for younger students and is fairly easy to use. There is an
opportunity to search for a known tree. However once the tree is identified,
the site gives the name and provides a picture with no additional information.
Key to Leaves of Virginia
Trees
http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/key/intro.htm
By Dr. Jeff Kirwan and James Ward for 4H
This site is best to use if a leaf is already chosen. It separates initially between deciduous and coniferous trees. It gives the pictures of the possible choices. Trees from Virginia are featured on this site. It provides a picture and a description of the tree identified.
Midwest Wetland Flora
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/plntguid/species.htm - group5
By the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The student needs to know
name of the tree to search. This site provides two images of the tree, a map
showing the distribution and range and a description of the plant.
Nature and Wildlife Field Guide
http://www.enature.com/guides/select_trees.asp
From National Wildlife Federation
This site has many
graphics that are clear and descriptive. To identify a plant, the students have
to choose the type of leaf (conifer, lobed, simple, etc.). Then a list of
possible trees with pictures appears. The site provides a description, habitat,
discussion and range. It is also possible to search a specific species. There are 783 trees total to search.
Noble Foundation Plant Image Gallery
http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/
By Russell Stevens, Chuck Coffey, and Mike Haddock
This site has many images
for each plant. However, the student needs to know name of the plant to search.
This site initially splits the search for grasses and grass-like plants, forbs
and trees, shrubs and woody vines. There is a common name index, scientific
name index, family index and a search engine.
Pine Barrens Plant Identification Key
By Mike Baker
This site requires a
long, difficult search with many options.
It is best to read the instructions well before using it and to choose
one or two characteristics of the leaf to start. This site does not have any
guide to help with difficult terms. This may not be a complete list of
available species. The site allows a search for leaves and flowers. This is for plants of the Pine Barrens of
New Jersey.
Plants Database
From the National Resource Conservation Service
Although this site is
difficult to search, there are many good images and facts. You can search under common name, scientific
name and symbol for each plant. The
site has many images for each species. The information available for each
species includes characteristics, classification, facts, and a guide.
Plant
Identification Activity
http://www.nps.gov/cave/desertlb/reveg/rv_main.htm
By National Park Labs for the Chihuahuan Desert Lab
The site describes how to use a key to identify a plant. It gives a picture of a branch and then allows the reader to chose first if the leaf is simple or compound. If an incorrect choice is made, it will explain immediately. The site identifies desert plants.
Plant Identification Game
http://webworldwonders.firn.edu/cameras/keys/sa/tree.html
From Web World Wonders
The site features a game
that teaches students how to use a dichotomous key. After choosing one of 22
leaf choices, the site walks the student through the process of identifying
that leaf. Using simplistic language, the site goes through many questions to
help identify the leaf. Once through all the choices, it indicates if the
identification was correct and the plant identified. The site uses plants from
Key Largo, Florida.
Plant Identification Guide – Mount St. Helens
Living Laboratory Curriculum
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/msh/llc/de/deho/pig.html
From North Dakota University
This site contains pictures of the types of leaves and the way to identify them. There are pictures of leaf forms and could be used as a resource with another guide.
Shrubs and Trees
http://www.fanweb.ca/Identification/Plants/plantlist.htm
From the Federation of Alberta Naturalists
Once on this site, click
next on Interactive Key. This has very
few trees to search through. The first separation is between simple and
compound. The search then splits into opposite and alternate. The student can look
under a specific tree. There are 17 trees to chose from, but are all trees of
Alberta, Canada.
Virtual Foliage Homepage
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/courses/
By the UW-Madison Department of Botany
This site features an
image directory. It is a good source for many pictures of a wide variety of
trees. For most species, there is an image of inflorescence, a leafy branch,
stipules and a winter twig.
What Tree is
That?
http://www.treelink.org/whattree/index.htm
From the National Arbor Day Foundation
This site first allows you to determine if the unknown tree is deciduous or coniferous. Once the species is identified, there is a picture provided of the plant. This site has trees for Eastern and Central U.S. It offers a link on how to use the site. There is also an index to search if the name of the tree is already known. There is a glossary that shows what the terms mean and provides pictures of a leaf to show the parts of a leaf. There are clear pictures provided that help in the process of identification.
World Wide Flowering Plant Family
Identification
http://www.colby.edu/info.tech/BI211/PlantFamilyID.html
From the Colby College Department of Biology
On this website, a student can search for plant through by choosing a characteristic, such as habitat, vestiture, leaves, inflorescence, flowers, fruit, and distribution. The website provides a list of plants with the characteristics shown. This website is not clear and can be difficult to navigate because it uses scientific language.
U.S. States: U.S.
Regions:
Florida Eastern and Central U.S.
Outside the U.S.: Southwest