Creating a Dichotomous Key

1. Explore the leaves in Figure 12. Observe the various shapes and structures of the leaves. In particular, observe whether the edges of the leaf are smooth or ridged.

1. Print a color copy of the Leaves Supplemental Document that contains the 8 leaves shown in Figure 12.
2. Describe the main features of each of the leaves in Data Table 2.
3. Look at the descriptions in Data Table 2 and consider which characteristics are shared and which characteristics are unique, and may be used to differentiate between the leaf types.
4. Create a dichotomous key that may be used to identify each leaf type. Use the descriptions in Data Table 2 to guide your thoughts. Record your dichotomous key in Data Table 3.

Note: The data table may contain more rows than you need depending on how your key is written.

1. Check your work. Ensure that each of the 8 leaf types are listed only once in Data Table 3. Ensure that for each couplet, 1, and only 1, description will always be true.
2. Pretend as if you did not know the names of the leaves provided in Figure 12. Practice using the dichotomous key you created to classify the leaf types.