| Class: | angiosperms |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Genus: | Acorus |
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| species: 1 |
| Habit (i)general appearance of a plant | |
| Growth form: (i)Herb, shrub, tree or climber. | herb (i)Herbaceous, erect plant, up to 2m high, mostly with a leafy shoot; if perennial, shoots die to the ground each season, shoots are not woody
example: Artemisia pectinata   inherited by family Araceae: herb
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| Size of plant: (i)Attention: use flowering or fruiting specimens to assess plant height (many biennial plants possess only a basal rosette in the first year). | from 600 mm to 1000 mm inherited by family Araceae:
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| Parasite status: (i)Is the plant a half- or full parasite? | no parasite/saprophyte (i)Plant fully autonomous, leaves with chlorophyll
example: Most plants, Ranunculus inherited by family Araceae: no parasite/saprophyte
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| Water or terrestrial plant: (i)Where do the plants grow? | water or swamp plant inherited by family Araceae: water or swamp plant
plants in swamps, marshes or bogs, leaves rising above water (i)Semiaquatic; plant terrestrial, but restricted to wet or moistured environments with ground water at or near the surface
example: Phragmites communis inherited by family Araceae: plants in swamps, marshes or bogs, leaves rising above water
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| Leaf (i)expanded, usually photosynthetic organ of a plant (including phylloclades) | |
| Leaf development: (i)Structure and development of leaves. | flattened blade (i)Cross-section of lamina flat, plain inherited by family Araceae: flattened blade
common leaf (i)Green, often divided in blade and petiole
example: Cotoneaster inherited by family Araceae: common leaf
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| Leaf arrangement: (i)Arrangement of leaves at the stem. | alternate (i)One leaf per node; distiche: arranged in two vertical rows, equitant
example: Phragmites   inherited by family Araceae: alternate
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| Shape of blade: (i)Easy for simple leaves. In compound leaves use the general shape of leaflet. Always check the ground for largest leaves of a plant. To be worked out: how to handle pinnate leaves? | linear incl.grasslike or oblong (i)Leaves more than two times longer than broad with more or less parallel margins; see character: stipule for ligula
example: Dracocephalum ruyschiana, Poaceae, Scutellaria scordifolia, Pinus  inherited by family Araceae: linear incl.grasslike or oblong
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| Length of leaves: (i)How long is the leaf, be carefull in compound leaves, measure the complete leaf. | more than 50 mm inherited by family Araceae:
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| Leaf margin: (i)Structure of leaf margin (or that of a leaflet in case of compound leaves). Attention: Here we ask for the leaf margin, defined as all those dissections that separate the leaf for less than one third of its length or width, whatever is smaller. To be worked out: how to handle margin of pinnate leaves? | entire (i)Plain margin, not toothed
example: Iris  inherited by family Araceae: entire
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| Petiole: (i)Leaf divided into stalk (petiole) and blade. | without (i)Leaves without petiole (stalk), sessile
example: Poaceae, Iris  inherited by family Araceae: without
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| Stipule: (i)Leaflets at the base of the petiole, these are smaller and of different shape. | none (i)Without stipules
example: Euphorbia, Ericaceae s.l. inherited by family Araceae: none
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| Leaf veination: (i)Arrangement of the main veins of a leaf. | parallel (i)Most veins arranged parallel to the length of leaf, mostly no pronounced main vein (usually in elongate to linear leaves)
example: Most Monocotyledonae, Plantago, Veratrum, a lot of Caryophyllaceae looks like that.  inherited by family Araceae: parallel
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| Flower (i)reproductive portion of the plant, consisting of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils | |
| Flower appearance and pollination: (i)General appearance of the flower. | not attractive, wind-pollinated or some water plants (i)Small, colourless or green flowers
example: Betula, grasslike plants: Carex, Setaria, Juncus inherited by family Araceae: not attractive, wind-pollinated or some water plants
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| Flower colour: (i)Attention: assess colour of the most colourful parts of the flower, but not of the stamens; be aware of single plants with a mutation (mostly white) on flower colour. | greenish (i)petals absent or not distinctly different from colours of leaves, only stigmas (white) or anthers (yellow) may differ in color
example: Chenopodium, Triglochin inherited by family Araceae: greenish
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| Perianth arrangement: (i)Attention: in some plants, flowers may be dimorphic in different ways (dioecious or gynodioecious). If flowers vary, record the characters of the most showy flowers. | simple, similar (i)Only one type of perianth leaves (tepals)
example: Tulipa  inherited by family Araceae: simple, similar
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| Diameter of flower: (i)Diameter of flower or flower head. | to 5 mm (i)
example: Aruncus inherited by family Araceae:
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| Flower symmetry: (i)Symmetry of the perianth leaves. Attention: to assess this character, look on sepals, petals and stamens, but neglect carpels and ovary. | radiary, regular (actinomorphic) (i)More than two axis of symmetry
example: Saxifraga: 5; Iris: 3  inherited by family Araceae: radiary, regular (actinomorphic)
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| Petal / Tepal number: (i)Number of petal leaves (inner perianth leaves, usually coloured). | 6 (i)
example: Allium, Lilium, Dactylorhiza inherited by family Araceae: 6
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| Petal / Tepal fusion: (i)To which degree are the petal leaves connected? Petals sympetalous. | free (i)all petal leaves separate from each other
example: Anthriscus inherited by family Araceae: free
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| Spur: (i)A hollow, slender, sac-like appendage of the perianth leaves, storing nectar. | no spur (i)Flower without appendage
example: Peganum inherited by family Araceae: no spur
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| Stamen number: (i)Attention: We ask for the reproductive organs of the flower dispersing pollen. Count only fully fertile stamens, not staminodia (e.g. Parnassia). | 6 (i)
example: Veratrum, Smelowskia, Juncus inherited by family Araceae: 6
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| Stamen fusion: (i)To which degree are the stamens fused? Attention: Whereas the pollen sacs itself are often free., their stalks (filaments) may be fused. Here, we count them as fused if they are together over at least one thirth of their length. | free (i)Stamens with separate bases
example: Malus inherited by family Araceae: free
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| Pistil number: (i)Number of pistils (female floral organs: style, if developed; stigma and carpels/ovary together build the pistil). | 1 (i)One carpel, but clearly one stigma
example: Pyrola, Primula, Alyssum inherited by family Araceae: 1
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| Carpel fusion: (i)To which degree are the carpels (modified leaf forming simple pistil or part of a compound pistil) fused. | fused (i)Carpels united into an ovary, only styles are free
example: Malus, Berberis inherited by family Araceae: fused
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| Style number: (i)Portion of the pistil connecting the stigma to the ovary. | without (i)Without style, stigma sessile on the carpel
example: Acorus calamus inherited by family Araceae: without
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| Inflorescence (i)flowering part of a plant, describes the arrangement of the flowers on the flowering axis | |
| Inflorescence: (i)Structure of the inflorescence. | Flowers in inflorescence (i)No solitary flowers inherited by family Araceae: Flowers in inflorescence
Simple inflorescences (i)Flowers sessile on a main shoot or on short to long not branched side shoots
example: Polygonum bistorta   inherited by family Araceae: Simple inflorescences
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| Appearance: (i)Outer look of the inflorescence. | terminal (i)Inflorescence is the highest point of the plant and may consist of a single flower only
example: Cypripedium, Rhaponticum, Ligularia sibirica, Echinops inherited by family Araceae: terminal
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| Hairs | |
| Has hairs?: | no hairs, glabrous inherited by family Araceae: no hairs, glabrous
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| Shoot/Stem (i)a young stem or branch | |
| Spines, thorns or prickles: (i)Shoot with conspicuous spines, thorns or prickles. | absent (i)Stem glabrous or hairy, but never with spines, thornes or prickles
example: Gentiana barbata inherited by family Araceae: absent
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| Root / shoot below ground (i)plant part below ground (in most cases), including below ground shoots, without leaves | |
| Root type: (i)Organisation of the roots. | homorhizous (i)Many equal roots
example: Monocotyledonae inherited by order Alismatales: homorhizous
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| Runners: (i)Plant must be excavated; shoots, subterranean shoots connected by runners. | long root suckers or rhizomes (i)Plants grow new shoots from roots or subterranean shoots, called rhizomes, these spacing stems apart
example: Hippophae, Artemisia sericea inherited by family Araceae: long root suckers or rhizomes
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| Storage in below-ground structures: (i)Rhizomes or bulbs. | storage rhizomes (i)Horizontal, root like structures with scale leaves or their scars, these clearly thicker than the bases of above-ground shoots
example: Petasites, Iris inherited by family Araceae: storage rhizomes
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