Would like to share my thoughts further - I have always felt this strong urge to be able to place plants seen in the field into families. After going for some Botany trips am now able to identify some plants commonly seen and place them in thier families. But I feel that one has to master about 10 , 15 ,20 families initially, concentrate on them and their keys . Interesting bit is many times one does not know any keys but yet identifies correctly by ones own key or identification clue. These are the aspects, unique indentification markers one uses, of some selected families that could lead to some simplified set of keys as per Shrikant ji 's suggestion.
regards, Rashida. On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 7:38 PM, Gurcharan Singh <singh...@gmail.com> wrote: > Yes Shrikant ji, it can be done by individual efforts. Some time back I had > prepared and posted a similar simple key for Species of Solanum. (Small > steps towards eFlora of India). This idea of your can be slowly developed > and imlemented. > > > > -- > > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > > On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Rashida Atthar <atthar.rash...@gmail.com > > wrote: > >> Thank you Shrikant ji for your inputs and ideas on developing keys which >> can be easily used in the field. I hope more suggestions come forward for >> the same and perhaps lead to the necessary keys ! I have a small booklet >> developed by Dr. Milind Sardesai and Dr Yadav titled 'Keys to the Families >> of flowering plants of Maharashtra.' A small booklet which can be carried >> around . Perhaps some of the aspects fits your thoughts. >> >> regards, >> Rashida. >> >> On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 6:23 PM, shrikant ingalhalikar < >> le...@rediffmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Dear All, >>> >>> First of all I appreciate the concept of 'Family of the month' and >>> thank those who have taken efforts to compile. Many families have >>> already appeared. I do not know the sequence and the number of >>> families that are going to appear. I wish to make 'better late than >>> never' suggestions and request not to take these as interruption in >>> the current sincere efforts of the members. Pls excuse my ignorance if >>> whatever I am suggesting is already done. >>> >>> After years of field work I am able to place plants (by observing and >>> remembering obvious similarities between them) into just a few >>> families. The dichotomous keys for families are available in floras >>> but they can not be recollected and applied to so many families in the >>> field. If a simple key based on field characters (not on dissected >>> parts) is made which may lead to a single or a few families, that can >>> be very useful for a non-botanist like me in placing a plant in a >>> (single or a few) family for easy ID of species. We can begin by >>> making a short list of leading families based on the number of species >>> occuring in India. The list can be of 24 to 36 families to last for >>> 2-3 years' period. The brief features of these select leading families >>> can be tabulated and posted with each family. The sequence of families >>> can be as per the current system of classification. For every family, >>> before posting the plants an introduction to the family may be posted >>> so that members can look for those features appearing in plants being >>> posted. This can help to eradicate the apprehension about taxonomy and >>> will make the event interesting. >>> >>> For example (Pls ignore the incorrectness if any) the following >>> information (highlighted in the table) so that the current family can >>> be compared with other families. >>> >>> FAMILY Euphorbiaceae >>> COMMON NAME Spurge >>> EXAMPLE Castor >>> LEADING GENERA Euphorbia, Phyllanthus, Croton, Acalypha, Jatropha >>> COMPOSITION 300 genera, 5,000 species of herbs, shrubs and trees in >>> the world and .. genera, ..species in India >>> DISTRIBUTION Tropical >>> CLASSIFICATION Seeds containing 2 cotyledons, perianth 1-2 seriate in >>> unisexual flowers and absent in bisexual flowers, ovary superior, more >>> than 1 celled, inflorescence of a cyathium. >>> DIGNOSTIC FEATURES Leaves usually alternate, stipulate; plants with >>> milky latex; flowers usually unisexual on same or different plants, >>> >>> I have been trying to update myself (thogh not yet familiar) on 'How >>> to ID a family' for a long time which I think is an intrinsic feature >>> of field botany. I am sure we have experts to generate better ideas on >>> this subject. Regards, Shrikant >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mar 7, 3:45 pm, Gurcharan Singh <singh...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > Yes Rashida ji >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Dr. Gurcharan Singh >>> > Retired Associate Professor >>> > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >>> > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >>> > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ >>> > >>> > On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 4:01 PM, Rashida Atthar < >>> atthar.rash...@gmail.com>wrote: >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > > Yes Sir let us include genera Phyllanthaceae. So that includes all >>> the >>> > > genera specified in the Kew Plant list which otherwise we have >>> included in >>> > > Euphorbiaceae in our database. We need to mention >>> > > Euphorbiaceae-Phyllanthaceae +(Genus + species name of the plant >>> being >>> > > uploaded) in the subject line. Hope this is fine. >>> > >>> > > regards, >>> > > Rashida. >>> > >>> > > On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 3:25 PM, Gurcharan Singh <singh...@gmail.com >>> >wrote: >>> > >>> > >> Yes Rashida ji, a nice write u >>> > >> I suggest that we also encourage the upload of genera of >>> Phyllanthaceae, >>> > >> because otherwise it may not be possible to have a separate episode >>> for >>> > >> Phyllanthaceae. >>> > >>> > >> -- >>> > >> Dr. Gurcharan Singh >>> > >> Retired Associate Professor >>> > >> SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >>> > >> Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >>> > >> Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >>> > >>http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ >>> > >>> > >> On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 10:48 AM, Rashida Atthar < >>> atthar.rash...@gmail.com >>> > >> > wrote: >>> > >>> > >>> Thanks Tanay ! >>> > >>> > >>> regards, >>> > >>> Rashida. >>> > >>> > >>> On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 10:33 AM, tanay bose < >>> tanaybos...@gmail.com>wrote: >>> > >>> > >>>> The write-up is a nice one >>> > >>>> Tanay >>> > >>> > >>>> On Sun, Mar 6, 2011 at 7:54 PM, Rashida Atthar < >>> > >>>> atthar.rash...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > >>> > >>>>> *As most of you are aware, this month for a week starting Monday >>> 7 >>> > >>>>> March 2011 upto Sunday 13 March 2011 the family of focus on the >>> group is >>> > >>>>> Euphorbiaceae. It is a very important, large, interesting and >>> > >>>>> fascinating family!* >>> > >>>>> ** >>> > >>>>> *We have had very high standards of coordinating these family >>> weeks >>> > >>>>> starting with Dr. Balkar ji, Dr. Ritesh ji, Dinesh ji and Mayur >>> ji. Being a >>> > >>>>> non-botanist I shall try to provide coordination to this episode >>> to the >>> > >>>>> best possible extent, within the constraints of time and my >>> other >>> > >>>>> commitments. * >>> > >>>>> ** >>> > >>>>> *I shall also like to appeal to the many distinguished members >>> who >>> > >>>>> have joined recently and also who are present since a long time >>> to >>> > >>>>> participate and enrich this forum with their interactions and >>> inputs. There >>> > >>>>> are many new developments in the field which only experts can >>> enlighten us >>> > >>>>> on. Hoping for another great learning and enriching week on >>> efloraofindia, >>> > >>>>> here's my first very short write-up and pictures on >>> Euphorbiaceae. * >>> > >>>>> ** >>> > >>>>> *From the several postings we have had on the family in the past >>> > >>>>> years, 28 genus or so, the follwing have now been transferred >>> to the >>> > >>>>> Phyllanthaceae family as per Kew Plant LIst : Actephila, >>> Antidesma, Aporosa, >>> > >>>>> Baccaurea, Bridelia, Cleistanthus, Glochidion,, Phyllanthus, >>> Sauropus, >>> > >>>>> Securinega. These aspects will need more discussions, inputs.* >>> > >>>>> ** >>> > >>>>> ** >>> > >>>>> *regards,* >>> > >>>>> *Rashida. * >>> > >>> > >>>> -- >>> > >>>> *Tanay Bose* >>> > >>>> Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant. >>> > >>>> Department of Botany. >>> > >>>> University of British Columbia . >>> > >>>> 3529-6270 University Blvd. >>> > >>>> Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada) >>> > >>>> Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile) >>> > >>>> 604-822-2019 (Lab) >>> > >>>> 604-822-6089 (Fax) >>> > >>>> ta...@interchange.ubc.ca >>> > >>>> *Webpages:* >>> > >>>>http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/mberbee.html >>> > >>>>http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/gradstud.html >>> > >>>>https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/- Hide quoted text - >>> > >>> > - Show quoted text - >> >> >> > >
