Horrible keys

[Daniel Janzen]

1 September 1995
Philadelphia

Joe Laferriere wants couplets?  I can beat his example 100-fold over.

Standley's Trees and Shrubs of Mexico

Quercus (80 plus species):

the opening couplet:

Acorns take one year to mature
Acorns take two years to mature

Asclepiadaceae (huge number of species)

the opening couplet:

Pollen feels waxy to the touch
Pollen not waxy to the touch


This was my introduction to real taxonomy in 1963.

Dan Janzen


>Any nominees for the prize of Most Useless Key Couplet Ever Published?
>Here's my choice:
>
>Awns often deciduous ....
>Awns much more often deciduous ....