Many decorative dried botanicals have been modified to some extent from their original form. At a minimum, most specimens will have been dyed and/or scented. Some will be easily recognizable as a particular plant part, but others will no longer look at all like the plant part they actually are. For instance, leaves may be woven or cut to look like flowers. We have tried to account for this in the construction of the key. However, it is still recommended that the user maintain a certain degree of flexibility in the selection of states. If you are not sure which plant part you have, either skip this feature, try using the “Other or difficult to discern” state, or choose more than one state to avoid excluding your specimen.

Flowers

Non-grass flowers or inflorescences - This state would include anything that looks like a "traditional" flower or stem of flowers. There are many types of inflorescences, or clusters of flowers, including groups of flowers that all grow on the same stem and the daisy- or sunflower-type of inflorescence head. A few inflorescences that are included in this key may be difficult to recognize as such. Here are some examples of non-grass flowers and inflorescences:

 

 

 

 

Grass or sedge inflorescences (fruiting or not) - This state includes inflorescences of grasses and sedges, which look quite different from other types of flowers. Grasses and sedges are both types of monocots. While the vegetative material may look similar, their inflorescences are usually quite distinct from one another. Here are some examples of grass and sedge inflorescences (note that grass inflorescences may be fruiting or not, as this may, in some cases, be a difficult distinction to the untrained eye):

 

 

 

 

Flower/inflorescence parts or flower buds - A number of different flower/inflorescence parts are included in this key. They may include inflorescence stalks, bracts that subtend blooms, or involucral receptacles. This state also includes flower buds; some types of flower buds, particularly Eucalyptus spp. may be easily confused for fruits. Here are some examples of flower/inflorescence parts and flower buds: