Project
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Keys to Nature Project |
| Shrubs of The Chicago Region |
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 © Paul Rothrock, Cornus obliqua - Keys to Nature Project |
Title: Shrubs of The Chicago Region |
| Version: 1 |
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| Author(s): Paul Rothrock |
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| Email: plrothroc@tayloru.edu |
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| Description: This is a sub-set of shrubs of the Chicago Region. Shrubs are defined as woody plants of short to medium stature lacking a central trunk and instead branching from the base. Most of these species are native, but a few are non-natives that were included in order to distinguish between similar native species. Several branches of this key end at groups of species rather than a single species. Please contact the author and keystonature@fieldmuseum.org if you are interested in resolving these species. Maps of the Chicago Region can be found at http://www.vplants.org/chicago.html |
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| Key Structure: 1. Leaves evergreen, needle- or scale-like GROUP 1 (see Juniperus Key) 1. Leaves deciduous - 2 2. Leaves compound (more than one leaflet per stalk) - 3 3. Stems armed GROUP 2 (Rosa, Rubus, Zanthoxylum) 3. Stems unarmed GROUP 3 (Amorpha, Aralia, Potentilla, Ptelea, Rhus, Sambucus, Staphylea) 2. Leaves simple (one leaf per stalk) - 4 4. Leaves opposite 5. Leaf margins entire (no teeth) GROUP 4 (Cephalanthus, Cornus, Decodon, Hypericum, Lonicera, Mitchella, Symphoricarpos) 5. Leaf margins toothed or lobed GROUP 5 (Diervilla, Eunoymous, Viburnum) 4. Leaves alternate - 6 6. Plants less than 40 cm tall GROUP 6 (Arctostaphylos, Chimaphila, Gaultheria, Hudsonia, Vaccinium) 6. Plants erect, quickly reaching more than 40 cm tall - 7 7. Leaf margins entire (no teeth) GROUP 7 (Dirca, Lindera, Rhamnus, Vaccinium) 7. Leaf margins toothed or lobed - 8 8. Venation pinnate- 9 9. fruits fleshy GROUP 8 (Cornus, Gaylussacia, Ilex, Prunus, Rhamnus, Vaccinium) 9. fruits non-fleshy GROUP 9 (Alnus, Betula, Chamaedaphne, Comptonia, Corylus, Hamamelis, Salix, Spiraea) 8. Venation palmate GROUP 10 (Ceanothus, Physocarpus, Ribes) |
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