MediumBiologyHigh School (11–12)Diversity of Living Organisms › Taxonomic Hierarchy and AidsConceptual
Look at the herbarium sheet. What is the family of the plant?
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Look at the herbarium sheet.
What is the family of the plant? Why is the plant dried and pressed before it is mounted? Why does every sheet carry a label with the date, the place and the collector's name?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Taxonomical aids help to identify organisms.
- Herbarium: dried, pressed plants on labelled sheets.
- Botanical garden: living plants with labels.
- Museum: preserved specimens, pinned insects and skeletons.
- Zoological park: live wild animals under care.
- Key: couplets of contrasting characters.
- Books: a flora (the plants of an area), a manual (to identify the species of an area) and a monograph (all about one taxon).
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The family. Anacardiaceae, as the label says.
Step 2. Dried and pressed. A dried, flat specimen does not rot, keeps its shape, and can be stored on a sheet for many years.
Step 3. The label. The date and the place tell when and where the plant was found, and the collector's name tells who found it. Later workers can check its flowering season and where it grows.
Answer: Anacardiaceae; drying keeps the specimen; the label keeps its record.
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