field notes from 02/08/23

Plant ID is different

Botanical keys make bird ID feel simple. You walk a plant key and you are asked about leaf arrangement, about stipules, about whether something is pubescent (it often is), and each answer determines a different branch. I got a wildflower to species in about twenty minutes. A bird would be a tick in two seconds. Plants are not harder than birds. They’re exactly as hard as birds, and I’m earlier on the curve.