Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Northeast Wetland Flora

Key to Groups of Wetland Plants in Northeast


1. Ferns or related plants, reroducing by spores, not seeds Group 1
1. Plants reproducing by flowers and seeds Go To 2
2. Plants woody, either trees or shrubs Group 5
2. Plants herbaceous, stems not woody Go To 3
3. Monocots; leaves usually with parallel veins; petals and sepals, if present, usually in 3's or multiples of 3's Go To 4
3. Dicots; leaves usually with net veins; petals and sepals usually in 2's, 4's or 5's or multiples of 4's or 5's Go To 6
4. Flowers without sepals and petals; each flower subtended by one or more scales and borne in spikelets Go To 5
4. Flowers with sepals and petals (green or brown or black in Juncus), the flowers not arranged in spikelets Group 4
5. At least one or more scales at the base of each spikelet not subtending a flower; stems never triangular Group 2
5. All the scales of a spikelet subtending a flower; stems usually triangular Group 3
6. At least some of the leaves compound; that is, divided into distinct leaflets Group 6
6. None of the leaves compound, although they may be deeply divided Go To 7
7. Most or all the leaves opposite or whorled Group 7
7. Most or all the leaves alternate and/or basal Group 8

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Page Last Modified: August 3, 2006