Western Australian Orchid Keys

WANOSCG has now developed a Lucid Key to the Native Orchids of Western Australia.

A dichotomous key, as opposed to a lucid key, is an identification tool that consists of a series of paired statements or clues about features or characteristics of the orchid, providing a step-wise guide toward identifying it. As you proceed from one step to the next, the clues gradually narrow down the list of possible orchids until you are left with just one. In order to use a dichotomous key you will need to be able to view a whole plant including the flower and leaf as both may be required to successfully identify the orchid. You may also need other information such as location, flowering time and habitat.

There are 28 genera of orchids in the south-west of Western Australia with dichotomous keys currently available for just five of these. These five keys can be found here along with two subspecies keys. Note: some of these keys are also available online at https://keybase.rbg.vic.gov.au/projects/show/7.

Courtesy of Andrew Brown

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