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Faculty Essay

New Article: Identifying Plants referencing Botany in a Day by Chris Chisholm. Also check out our other articles available in the Ethnobotany series, Survival series, Wildlife series, and Earth Skills Education series.

Identifying Plants using Botany in a Day

Also check my related articles on herbal first aid and which plants to learn first.

To understand plants, it's critical to get Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel which includes great ethnobotanical descriptions, and teaches the reader about plant identification through taxometric classification. For younger students, he has a story book called Shanlaya's Quest which details the characteristics of plant families inside a context of story.

Not only is Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel a great guide to plants, but it includes wonderful information on herbal medicine, including a description of uses for each plant, and a special section on the medicinal properties of plants which every herbalist should know. Also check out my article on choosing which plants are most important to study as well as my Herbal First Aid article where I mention that the "fourth tenet of herbal medicine" is to learn the plants in your area, and to test them to see what works for you as an individual.

Botany in a Day treats plant taxonomy as an intimate learning experience. As you may know, all living things are categorized into a huge family tree called taxometric classification. The main classifications are a series of "kingdoms" including bacteria, animals, and plants, among others. All the kingdoms are divided into "divisions" or "phyla" depending on which taxonomist you talk to. Check out my article on animal taxonomy with a chart on birds for even more information and understanding, but divisions of the plant kingdom include classifications like mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants, among others. My strong suggestion is to start with the conifer division in order to understand taxonomy in general, because there are only a few conifers.

Start with Conifers

The conifer division includes trees that you normally think of as "evergreens" with needles for leaves, and it's important to distinguish between the "families" in this division. Fortunately, there aren't very many. In fact, the way taxonomists divide "divisions" is into "classes," and those are sometimes divided into sub-classes. There's really only one class of conifers that isn't extinct. Further, taxonomists divide classes and sub-classes into "orders" and again, there is only one order of conifers still living today. Orders are divided into "families" and this is where it is important to distinguish differences, because one family is poisonous, one is only medicinal, and another is very edible.

The poisonous conifer family include "yew" trees. The Pacific Yew is the least poisonous, and in fact, it's bark includes the compound "taxol" which is one of the modern cures for breast cancer. Taxol is now artificially produced, however. The medicinal conifer family includes cedar, cypress, juniper and arbor vitae trees. There is also a "bald cypress" family that includes sequoias/redwoods, as well as a "mormon tea" family.

Taxonomists divide families into the "genera" and there is just one main genus in the mormon tea family, called Ephedra. Taxonomists divide genera into "species," and in North America, there is one species of Ephedra called Mormon Tea. In China, there are more species, including Ma Huang from which the stimulant Edphedrine is derived, which is now artificially produced as a decongestant in cold medications.

Otherwise, most of the remaining conifers are in the Pine family, which includes the generas pine, spruce, fir, douglas fir, larch, and hemlock tree. The latter is a great example of how common names can prove dangerous, since the flowering hemlock plant in the carrot/parsley family is deathly poisonous. But if you identify pine family trees correctly, they are wonderful sources of medicine and nutrition, including lots of vitamin C in their needles which is critical to fight colds, and pine "nuts" inside all their cones.

The pine family is also a great example of how much diversity can be in one family, since the larch genus, including tamerack trees, loose their leaves (needles) in the winter so they are considered "deciduous" even though they appear "evergreen." Other conifer trees do as well, like the bald cypress genus. In fact, other bald cypress genera, along with some junipers like the Western Red Cedar, loose about 1/3 of their needles every fall.

Flowering Plant Division

The "flowering plant" division of the plant kingdom is very diverse, and it is critical that herbalists learn the relationships within this division. The main reason is what I might call the "Fifth Tenet" of herbal medicine, (the first four I discussed in Part I of this series) which is is to avoid providing false information. This tenet goes beyond simply repeating the commonly quack advice surrounding herbalism without testing information yourself. More important, if you don't know plant relationships, you run the risk of suggesting toxins or poisons to people, thinking that one plant is actually another. To avoid this mistake, just learn the latin names for plants you use along with the family to which they belong.

The flowering plant division starts simply. There are two classes within it: the monocots and the dicots. Simply, the monocots are plants that send one simple leaf stalk out of its seed when it starts growing. The dicots divide into two leaves as they grow out of their seed. The dicots are are more diverse class, so let's start with the monocots. Monocots are divided into sub-classes, including arrowheads, spiderworts, arums, and lilies.

For herbalists in my region, the arrowhead sub-class isn't super popular. However, it includes many plants which have important ethnobotanical uses, including Wapato, an edible root; Arrow Grass is edible only when cooked and is high in potassium, making its ashes great for soap making; Pondweed has edible roots; and Eel Grass creates perhaps the most important habitat in which oceanic species can breed.

Spiderwort Subclass

The spiderwort subclass of monocots includes the Rush order and family, which look like grasses but have round/cylindrical leaf stalks all the way to their tips, and often a single seed flower that shoots off the middle of the stalk. Rushes are critical in some areas as insulative thatching, and some parts are edible. Also in the spiderwort sub-class is the Sedge order and family. The sedge family has many medicinal uses, and the member of this family with the most reported uses is the Bulrush. You can see why common names are misleading!

The grass family is also in the sedge order, and it is perhaps the most important family of plants overall. However, it may be down the list for herbalists, even though barley is popular as a mucilaginous demulcent for sore throats, and can sooth the stomach and intestines. Further, if you watch cats and dogs, they are constantly eating grass as a way to clean their gastrointestinal tracts, while juicing enthusiasts process wheatgrass into juice as a tonic, especially to get vitamins and minerals. Lemongrass is a great culinary herb, and good to add to other medicines for better smell and taste, while Sweetgrass is often used as incense for spiritual cleansing.

The cattail order of the spiderword subclass is, personally, my most important plant, but for herbalists, it has limited uses. However, the gel found between the leaves seems to be a topical anesthetic (and some say antiseptic, but I'm not sure about that) so I've used it topically on a toothache as well as for sore joints with nice success.

The arum subclass of monocots includes one order (arum) that includes the duckweed family which has various edible genera, as well as the arum family which includes many edible and medicinal genera, including the arum genus, which includes species whose dried roots are used internally as diaphoretcs and expectorants for asthma, bronchitis, gas and rheumatism.

Lilies

The lily subclass of moncots includes two main orders, the lilies and the orchids. The orchid order and family, which includes the sedative lady slipper plant, rattlesnake plantain which has various medicinal uses and shouldn't be confused with plantain plants commonly found in yards, and other edible species. The orchid order includes the largest number of species of flowering plants. However, almost all of them are tropical, so I won't detail them here.

The lily order is a more varied one for those of us north of the tropics to consider, and includes the lily and iris families. The iris family are plants with flat leaves, and includes various genera including Iris itself, which include highly medicinal species that should be used with great care.

The lily family is divided into sub-families including agave, asphodel, asparagus, onion, greenbrier and lilies. Genera in the lily subfamily include camus, which includes an edible and a poisounous species, as well as other genera that are commonly edible and medicinal. The onion subfamily includes the allium genus which include species like garlic, leeks, chives and onions. Garlic is well known as a medicinal plant, with volatile oils and sulfer glycosides that lower cholestrol and blood pressure, shorten the life of colds, and act as digestive stijulants, expectorants, anthelmintics and carminatives.

The asparagus sub-family of lilies include various asparagus species, lily-of-the-valley species, fairy bells, solomon seals, twisted stalks, and trilliums, all of which have many common medicinal uses. The asphodel sub-family includes aloe species which are great for sunburns if used fresh, and can be taken internally for more acute ailments, such as when a mucilaginic is needed.

The agave sub-family includes sotol which is used as a sugar, yucca whose roots contain saponin which is used as a soap substitute as well as various medicinal uses, and agave which is the source of sisal fiber and commercial syrups, although it is quite medicinal so should be used sparingly otherwise. Please note that the latter two sub-families look a bit like cactus, but cactus itself is a dicot!

Dicots

It's important to point out that many plants, including trees, that don't seem to "flower" are, in fact, flowering plants in the dicot class, right along with the many garden and wild flowers we commonly think of. Also, you need to know that North American plants in the dicot class are divided into sub-classes including aster, rose, mallow, pink, witch hazel, and magnolia.

Within the aster sub-class, the orders include aster, teasel, madder, barebell, figwort, plantain, mint, phlox, and gentian. Because I focus on wild plants in my region (pacific northwest) that are useful for first aid, there are only three of these orders which I focus on, including plantain, mint and aster. You should learn to identify other orders which apply to you, especially if you live in the desert or southeastern states.

As you can see, it's critical to have a field guide that categorizes plants into taxometric classification, especially by family. If you live in the northern Rocky Mountains, Northwestern States and Southwestern Provinces, then the only field guide you need is the one published by Lone Pine for your area. Everywhere else, find the best thing you can, or just use Botany in a Day. because you will need to read about how to properly identify plants. Then follow these steps:

Is it an Aster?

Whenever you try to identify a plant that seems like it would produce what we would commonly think of as a flower (herbaceous plants) first ask yourself, is it an aster? The reason to first "eliminate" asters is because the aster family is the largest amongst herbaceous plants. The aster order includes the aster or "sunflower" family, which is divided into two subfamilies, including aster and dandelion. Your field guides will just put them all into the aster family.

The dandelion subfamily is of moderate size, but the aster subfamily is huge, so taxonomists categorize them further into "tribes" to keep them organized. Those tribes include plants related to goldenrod, sunflowers like arrowleaf, groundsels like arnica and coltsfoot, sneezeweeds, bonesets, everlastings, ragweeds, chamomile/yarrow/sagebrush/tansy/oxeye daisy/pineapple weed, artichoke/burdock/thistle and dandelions/lettuces.

Despite this large family of asters and dandelions, do start by asking yourself if a plant you want to identify is an aster, and become familiar the plants within its tribes if you don't recognize characteristics from other orders. Orders of the aster sub-class include:

1. Aster Order. All the plants in the aster order will probably be listed in your field guide as being in the "aster" or "sunflower" family. They all have incredibly complex "flowers within flowers" but one characteristic distinguishing this order is a challenging. It's better to learn the more distinguishing characteristics of other families down this list.

2. Teasel Order with Valerian & Honeysuckle Families. Teasel order plants often have compound leaves and twin berries, sometimes within clusters. Teasel species often have leaves or leaf stalks that clasp the stalk. The specific teasel species itself often holds a pool of water there, catching insects so they are partially carnivorous. The Honeysuckle Family includes well-know genera like twin-flower, elder, snowberry, feverwort, and viburnum including high-bush cranberry (not the health cranberry) and crampbark.

3. Harebell & Madder Orders. These are small orders with one well-known genus for herbalists in our area, galium, which includes bedstraw and cleavers, a soft medicinal potherb which sticks on your clothing easily due to their minute hairs.

4. Figwort Order. This order is important due to some very medicinal and poisonous look-alikes within it. For instance, the poisonous foxglove (source of the heart medicine digitalis) has big, beautiful, soft leaves, just like its highly-regarded medicinal relative, mullein, and they are both in the Figwort Family itself. The flowers are incredibly beautiful in this family, which also includes indian paintbrush, snapdragon, and the highly medicinal/toxic hedge hyssop, not to be confused with the hyssop in the mint order/family. Other families in the Figwort Order include broomrape, bladderwort, and the olive-lilac-ash family! The latter family of trees have those beautiful compound leaves with showy flowers and berry clusters.

5. Plantain Order. This order is quite small, with all our species in the same family and even genus. If the plant's leaves have parallel veins similar to moncots, but also have minute, netted vens in between, then check your field guide for plantains. Also, the unique flowers of plantain species appear greenish.

6. Mint Order. If the plant's stem feels "square" or four-sided, then check your field guide for plants in the mint family. Species include the mints, hyssops (not hedge hyssop which is a figwort), various plants with the name "nettle" not to be confused with the stinging nettle name which is in its own order, catnip, self-heal, culinary sage, and skullcap. The verbena family is also in this order, as is the borage family which often have fuzzy, clasping leaves, like comfrey, so another set of plants not to be confused with foxglove (poinsonous) and mullein which are in the figwort family.

7. Phlox Order. This order often has plants with five united petals, and often similarly, leaves, such as its waterleaf family and morning glory family which, interestingly, includes plants as seemingly diverse as bidweed and sweet potato. The phlox order also includes the nightshade family which have poisonous and narcotic leaves, and include the red/bell/jalapeno/cayenne/tabasco pepper genus, as well as tomatos and indian tobacco, nicotiana rustica.

8. Gentian Order. Gentians often have milky or latex sap, a classic pointed-oval leaf shape, and upturned bell-shaped flowers with usually 5 petals. This order is often poinsonous if not used properly, and includes the gentian family, milkweed family, and dogbane family.

Instead of continuing with descriptions of every order and/or family of dicots, I'm just going to include a list of them, and leave it to you to read Botany in a Day. However, if you would like to finish reading my descriptive list, check out http://www.wolfcollege.com/essays/planttaxonomy.html in the near future.

Is it a Rose? The rose sub-class of dicots includes the following orders which each have distinguishing characteristics to learn:

1. Parsely Order includes the Ginseng and Carrot Families. It's critical to learn this family due to poisonous plants within it.

2. Flax Order and Family.

3. Geranium Order includes the Wood Sorrel / Shamrock Family, Touch-Me-Not Family, and Geraniums.

4. Soapberry Order includes the Buckey / Horse Chestnut Family, the Maple Family, the Cashew/Sumac Family which includes poison ivy and poison oak, and Caltrop Family which includes chaparral and creosote bush.

5. Buckthorn Order includes the Grape Family as well as Buckthorn Family where cascara sagrada (discussed on my herbal apothecary last week) resides.

6. Spurge Order & Family includes poinsetta, while the Sandalwood Order includes the Mistletoe Family.

7. Dogwood Order includes its own family and genus, including bunchberry.

8. Myrtle Order includes the Evening Primrose Family with enchanter's nightshade, fireweed, fuschia, and false loosestrife, and the Loosestrife Family including water purslane.

9. Water Milfoil Order includes the Mare's Tail Family, too.

10. The Rose Order is a big one, and includes several families of highly edible, medicinal and otherwise utilitarian plants. In fact, taxonomists divide some of its families into sub-families and tribes in order to keep track of them. They include:

Gooseberry/Currant Family which has one genus on our continent.

Saxifrage Family which includes plants like Miterwort and Alumroot, not to be confused with the moncot Alum.

Hydrangea Family which includes the Mock Orange shrub.

Stonecrop Family

Rose Family

The Rose Subfamily includes the rose genus, the raspberry/blackberry genus, the strawberry genus, the agrimony genus, the avens genus, the cinquefoil genus, and more.

The Spiraea Subfamily includes genera like goat's beard, ocean spray, ninebark, and meadowsweet.

The Plum Subfamilly includes the osoberry/indian plum genus, and the cherry/plum genus that includes a chokecherry species.

The Apple Subfamily includes a chokecherry genus, a saskatoon/service berry genus, a hawthorn genus, a mountain ash genus, an imported cotoneaster genus, as well as the apple, pear, quince, loquat, and christmasberry genera.

Pea Family

The Mimosa Subfamily includes the acacia genus, the the mesquite genus, the sensitive plant genus, and the sensitive briar genus, among others.

The Bird-of-Paradise Tree Subfamily includes genera like one of its own name, a couple of palo verde genera, redbud/judas tree genus, honey locust genus, tamarind genus, kentucky coffee bean tree genus, and wait-a-bit vine genus.

The Pea Subfamilly includes the following tribes:

The Hedysarum Tribe includes the crown vetch, sweet vetch, tick trefoil, and bush clover genera.

The Broom Tribe includes the lupine, rattle box, scotch broom, spanish broom, and broom genera.

The Trefoil Tribe includes the lotus genus with our native bird's foot trefoil species.

The Licorice Tribe shouldn't be confused with licorice fern, and includes genera such as diverse as wild licorice, locust tree, caragana, pointloco vetch, false indigo, bread root/scurf pea, locoweed/milk vetch/ground plum, prairie clover, and indigo bush that also includes another prairie clover species.

The Clover Tribe includes the alfalfa genus and sweet clover genus as well as the clover genus itself.

The Bean Tribe includes the common beans genus, the soybean genus, and cow peas / black-eyed peas genus, as well as a few native plant genera.

The Pea Tribe includes the native vetch and sweet pea genera, as well as imported genera like the chick pea / garbanzo bean genus, sweet pea gnus, lentil genus and garden pea genus.

The Golden Pea Tribe includes a genus of the same name, plus the wild indigo genus.

Is it Mallow? The mallow sub-class of dicots includes the following orders whose characteristices should be learned:

• Primrose Order
• Heath Order
• Caper Order
• Willow Order
• Violot Order
• Carniverous Plants Order
• Mallow Order

Is it Pink? Not to be confused with the color, this sub-class of dicots includes the Pink Order and Buckweat Order.

• Buckwheat Order & Family
• Pink Order & Family
Amaranth Family
Goosefoot Family
Purslane Family
Cactus Family
Four-O'Clock Family

Is it Witch Hazel? This sub-class of dicots includes the following orders whose characteristics should be learned:

• Beech Order
• Walnut Order
• Nettle Order
• Witch Hazel Order

Is it Magnolia? This sub-class of dicots includes the following orders whose characteristics should be learned:

• Poppy Order
• Barberry Order
• Buttercup Order
• Water Lily Order
• Dutchman's Pipe Order
• Magnolia Order

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