What are three leaf characteristics that can be used for plant identification?

Answer 1

You can use the morphology of the leaf to assist in determining where the plant is from; this helps to narrow the search parameters for identification.

Size: Normally larger leaves come from tropical or subtropical areas. Small leaves from semi-arid or arid areas.

Colour: Deep green from temperate to tropical regions. Leaves with a grey or silver colour come from areas with high light intensity where the leaf needs to be protected from drying out (dessication). You could possibly tell whether the plant is deciduous or evergreen from the colour as well - deciduous leaves colour in the Autumn (changing from green through red - depending on species).

Texture: Fleshy leaves - arid areas, leaves with many hairs on, arid areas.

Leaf shape: can tell you about location: leaves with re-curved tips or those that end in sharp tips often come from tropical areas - this is a mechanism to assist removing excess rain from the leaf (reducing the chance of fungal infections).

Venation of the leaf: parallel venation is often associated with monocotyledonous plants, net venation with dicotyledonous plants.

Smell: crushing the leaf can often help identifying it, as certain plants and plant families have a characteristic smell (mint, eucalyptus, solanum etc.)

Distance between the internodes: if a section of stem is available the distance between the internodes can tell you in what sort of light conditions the plant has been growing; longer distance means less light, shorter internode means more light

Answer 2

There are two leaf characteristics in plant identification. The two characteristics are the blade and the stalk.

Answer 3

flowers,

seeds, and tissue