Key

S A N C L E M E N T E H I G H S C H O O L

Key: Common Plants

of Coastal Orange County

HOW TO USE THIS KEY:

The Identification key below is a dichotomous key (two alternative choices are always given from which you choose the appropriate plant characteristic) Be sure to read both choices before making a decision.

To use this key, you should have in hand a representative portion of the plant you wish to identify, including both leaves and flowers (not just the flowers or leaves alone). When you gather samples, you should also make a note as to the plants relative size (is the plant a tall tree, medium sized bushy shrub, or a low matted shrub) Always start with choice number 1 and move down the key until you have identified your sample.

(A glossary is available if you need help with the terminology in this key)

Important Note: Many of the photos below (California Academy of Sciences) have been taken from the website ( http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/ ) For further photos you can visit this site. For use of any of these photos please notify cburroughs@CalAcademy.org. For commercial use, contact cburroughs@CalAcademy.org.

Key to the Common Plants of Coastal Orange County

1.	True leaves	go to 3
1A.	Leaves reduced to spines- cactus	go to 2
2.	Stems are flat pods Last photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College	PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
2A.	Stems are round and jointed Photo by credit J. E.(Jed) and Bonnie McClellan, California Academy of Sciences	COASTAL CHOLLA
3.	Vine-like plant, climbing with tendrils or stems	go to 4
3A.	Upright tree or shrub, maybe sprawling (spread out)	go to 5
4.	Leaves arrow-shaped, funnel shaped white flower Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	BINDWEED
4A.	Leaves palmate, flowers small white in raceme, spiny fruit Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	WILD CUCUMBER
5.	Plant a tree definitely woody stem	go to 6
5A.	Plant a shrub or annual, woody or herbaceous	go to 11
6.	Palmate large fuzzy leaves	SYCAMORE
6A.	Leaves not as above	go to 7
7.	Leaf margin toothed or serrated	go to 8
7A.	Leaf margin entire or lobed	go to 10
8.	Leaves compound pinnately- usually 5-9 leaflets	ELDERBERRY
8A.	Leaves simple or lobed	go to 9
9.	Leaves ovate, tip slightly pointed Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	WHITE ALDER
9A.	Leaves at least 3X as long as wide, toothed, red berries Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.and William R. Hewlett, California Academy of Sciences.	TOYON
10.	Flowers yellow, tubular, leathery leaves	TREE TOBACCO
10A.	Flowers tiny yellow catkins, linear pointed leaves Photos by Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences and Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College	ARROYO WILLOW
11.	Stems with spines or thorns	go to 12
11A	Stems without spines	go to 14
12.	Leaves < 1" lobed at tip, red tubular flowers, spiny fruit Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College and John Game	FUCHSIA FLOWERED GOOSEBERRY
12A.	Leaves larger, deeply cleft	go to 13
13.	Leaves large tipped with spines, terminal large blue flower	WILD ARTICHOKE
13A.	Leaves not spiny, like sandpaper, deltoid, fruit spiny Photos by Donald Myrick, California Academy of Sciences and Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College	COCKLEBUR
14.	Wooly white hairs on leaves and/or stem	go to 15
14A.	Plant no as above	go to 16
15.	Leaves opposite, wrinkled, flowers white, whorled Photos by Virginia Moore, California Academy of Sciences and Beatrice F. Howitt, California Academy of Sciences.	HOREHOUND
15A.	Leaves alternate	go to 17
16.	Growth habit sprawling	go to 18
16A.	Upright shrub	go to 19
17.	Tall herb, leaves green on top, white hairy beneath Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	CUDWEED
17A.	tall herb, leaves green below, smells like curry Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	PEARLY EVERLASTING
18.	Low shrubby plant, leaves in 3, yellow-orange tiny flowers Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	DEERWEED
18A.	Gray-green shrub, triangular leaves, no petals Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	SALTBUSH
19.	Leaves finely dissected, fernlike or stringy	go to 20
19A.	Leaves toothed, entire, lobed, or palmate	go to 24
20.	Leaves gray, stingy, strong sage smell Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH
20A.	Leaves green, stringy	go to 21
21.	Leaves finely dissected or fernlike	go to 22
21A.	Leaves not as above	go to 23
22.	Flowers yellow, in umbel, smells and tastes like licorice	SWEET FENNEL
22A.	Flowers white, in umbel, feather-like leaves Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	YARROW
23.	Flowers nondescript, stems reddish, leaf and stem prickly Photo by Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences	RUSSIAN THISTLE
23A.	Flowers creamy turning rusty in cluster, leaves small pointy Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	WILD BUCKWHEAT
24.	Leaves toothed or loosely serrated, at least some	go to 25
24A.	Leaves linear, entire, or lobed, not serrate	go to 29
25.	Leaves compound	go to 26
25A.	Leaves simple, long, linear, flowers in clusters	go to 27
26.	Leaves 7-9 palmately compound, flowers blue-purple raceme Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	LUPINE
26A.	Leaves smaller, cleft into leaflets, ovate	go to 28
27.	Leaves large, linear tall plant, more than 6", reddish spike flower Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	CURLY DOCK
27A.	Leaves slightly toothed or entire, small terminal creamy cluster flower Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	MULE FAT
28.	Leaves in 3-leaflets, flowers yellow spike Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	YELLOW SWEET CLOVER
28A.	Leaves in 3-leaflets, flowers white spike
29.	Plant shrub with whitish or gray leaves	go to 30
29A.	Plant shrub with green or reddish leaves	go to 31
30.	Flowers yellow, composite, linear leaves, sessile, some toothed	GOLDENBUSH
30A.	Flowers yellow, woody shrub, with fat pods Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	BLADDERPOD
31.	Leaves thick and leathery	go to 32
31A.	Leaves not as above	go to 33
32.	Large shrub, ovate leaves, slimy hard berries, taste like lemons Photo by Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences.	LEMONADE BERRY
32A.	Large shrub, leaves entire, fold in middle, stems reddish Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	LAUREL SUMAC
33.	Leaves entire	go to 34
33A.	Leaves entire	go to 34
34.	Weak stemmed, yellow composite with purplish center Photo by Larry Blakely	ENCELIA DAISY
34A.	Strong stemmed bush, 5-9 toothed small leaves	COYOTE BUSH
35.	Leaves opposite	go to 36
35A.	Leaves alternate	go to 37
36.	Leaves sticky, linear, flowers red or salmon colored Photos by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College.	MONKEY FLOWER
36A.	Leaves no sticky, flowers whored, lavender color Photo by Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences.	BLACK SAGE
37.	Leaves simple	go to 38
37A.	Leaves in three, shiny reddish to green	POISON OAK
38.	Flowers reflexed white, yellow pistil, fruit green or purple berry Photos by Beatrice F. Howitt, California Academy of Sciences and Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences.	NIGHTSAGE
38A.	Leaves large round or heart-shaped, flower pinkish, fruit round	CHEESEWEED

H E Y ! M R . W I L S O N

Website by Duncan Wilson

Page last updated January 07, 2012

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