Family Key
This key is designed to help narrow down the search for the juvenile plant you have from the families on the website. The answers are common family names, listed at the end. Some families appear more than once.
Are the leaves of a rosette opposite or alternate? Hold the tips of two leaves that look opposite, pull them up at 90 degrees to the ground and hold the tips together. If they are the same length, they are opposite.
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Opposite |
Alternate |
Telling opposite from alternate can sometimes be difficult with rosettes, so if you have no luck with your first choice, try the other. If you're still stuck, the Facebook group Wild Flowers Of Britain And Ireland has 23,000 members (answer the question to join else you won't get in) including a lot of national experts, and if you are not on Facebook, you can send photographs to me at the email address on the home page. Remember, shots of details and an overall shot of the plant helps a lot with photo ID. Good luck, and if you have any problems, or see any faults, please let me know. This website is after all, one of a kind and a work in progress.
1. Plant with rosette
Or click or scroll to go to 2. Plant does not have rosette
1a. Leaves with spines
Use searchword 'Thistle'
1b. Leaves with toothed margins
Leaves opposite
Dead-nettle
Figwort
Goosefoot
Teasel
Leaves alternate
Bellflower
Cabbage
Carrot
Daisy
Mignonette
Primrose
Saxifrage
Willowherb
1c. Leaves with lobes
Leaves opposite
Figwort
Speedwell
Teasel
Leaves alternate
Buttercup
Cabbage
Carrot
Crane’s-bill
Daisy
Poppy
1d. Leaves with smooth edge
Leaves opposite
Dead-nettle
Gentian
Goosefoot
Pink
Rock-rose
Speedwell
St John’s-wort
Valerian
Willowherb
Leaves alternate
Bellflower
Bladderwort
Borage
Cabbage
Daisy
Knotweed
Nightshade
Orchid
Plantain
Thrift
2. Plant does not have rosette
Or click or scroll to go to: 3. Non aquatic plant without rosette
2a. Leaves floating on water
Leaves round with smooth edge
Frogbit
Lords and Ladies
Leaves very small
Stonecrop
Water Fern
The rest
Buttercup
Pennywort
Pondweed
Water-plantain
2b. Leaves emerging from water
Leaves like an Iris
Bog Asphodel
Iris
Leaf lobed or with leaflets
Cabbage
Carrot
Leaves longer than wide
Knotweed
Water-plantain
Leaves thin and feathery
Mare’s-tail
Water-milfoil
Leaves singlular and round
Pennywort
The rest
Some Loosestrifes
Brooklime
3. Non aquatic plant without rosette
Which of the nine options below is the best fit
3a. Leaves with leaflets
Terminal leaflet present
Ash
Cabbage
Jacob's-ladder
Moschatel
Pea
Poppy
Primrose
Rose
Valerian
Terminal leaflet absent
Honeysuckle
Periwinkle
Tendril present
Pea
Leaflets with spines
Barberry
Holly
Willowherb
Leaflets carrot-like
Carrot
Phacelia
Poppy
3b. Leaves in three leaflets
Deeply toothed or dissected
Buttercup
Crane’s-bill
Looks like Clover
Pea
Wood-sorrel
The rest
Bogbean
Moschatel
Rose
3c. Leaves thin and long
Asparagus
Bog Asphodel
Daffodil
Iris
Lily
Plantain
Scottish Asphodel
Thrift
3d. Leaves thin but not long
Daisy
Dewplant
Flax
Goosefoot
Knotweed
Milkwort
Pea
Pink
Sea Buckthorn
Spurge
Thrift
Willowherb
3e. Leaves lobed
Buttercup
Cabbage
Daisy
Poppy
Rose
White Bryony
3f. Leaves in whorls
Big leaves in woodland
Herb Paris
Variable sized leaves
Spurge
The rest
Bedstraw
Heather
Primrose
Sea Heath
3h. Leaves opposite
Leaves toothed
Borage
Broomrape
Daisy
Dead-nettle
Figwort
Goosefoot
Monkeyflower
Nettle
Primrose
Speedwell
Spindle
Stonecrop
Teasel
Valerian
Vervain
Willow
Leaves simple
Balsam
Blinks
Borage
Box
Broomrape
Daisy
Dead-nettle
Dogwood
Gentian
Goosefoot
Honeysuckle
Mezereon
Nettle
Nightshade
Pink
Primrose
Rock-rose
Speedwell
St John's-wort
Stonecrop
Valerian
3i. Leaves alternate
Leaves toothed
Beech
Birch
Borage
Knotweed
Nettle
Pea
Primrose
Spurge
Valerian
White Bryony
Willow
Leaves simple
Asparagus
Bindweed
Black Bryony
Borage
Heather
Knotweed
Lords and Ladies
Milkwort
Nettle
Orchid
Pea
Pokeweed
Primrose
Spurge
Sundew
Thrift
Valerian
List of Plant Families
| Common Family A-Z | Scientific Family |
|---|---|
| Ash | Oleaceae |
| Asparagus | Asparagaceae |
| Balsam | Balsaminaceae |
| Barberry | Berberidaceae |
| Bear's-breech | Acanthaceae |
| Bedstraw | Rubiaceae |
| Beech | Fagaceae |
| Bellflower | Campanulaceae |
| Bindweed | Convolvulariaceae |
| Birch | Betulaceae |
| Birthwort | Aristolochiaceae |
| Black Bryony | Dioscoreaceae |
| Bladderwort | Lentibulariaceae |
| Blinks | Montiaceae |
| Bog Asphodel | Nartheciaceae |
| Bogbean | Menyanthaceae |
| Borage | Boraginaceae |
| Box | Buxaceae |
| Broomrape | Orobanchaceae |
| Buttercup | Ranunculaceae |
| Cabbage | Brassicaceae |
| Carrot | Apiaceae |
| Crane's-bill | Geraniaceae |
| Daffodil | Amaryllidaceae |
| Daisy | Asteraceae |
| Dead-nettle | Lamiaceae |
| Dewplant | Aizoaceae |
| Dogwood | Cornaceae |
| Figwort | Scrophulariaceae |
| Flax | Linaceae |
| Frogbit | Hydrocharitaceae |
| Gentian | Gentianaceae |
| Giant-rhubarb | Gunneraceae |
| Goosefoot | Amaranthaceae |
| Heather | Ericaceae |
| Herb Paris | Melianthiaceae |
| Holly | Aquifoliaceae |
| Honeysuckle | Caprifoliaceae |
| Hop | Cannabaceae |
| Iris | Iridaceae |
| Jacob's-ladder | Polemomiaceae |
| Knotweed | Polygonaceae |
| Lily | Liliaceae |
| Lords-and-Ladies | Araceae |
| Mallow | Malvaceae |
| Maple | Sapindaceae |
| Mare's-tail | Hippuridaceae |
| Mezereon | Thymelaeaceae |
| Mignonette | Resedaceae |
| Milkwort | Polygalaceae |
| Monkeyflower | Phrymaceae |
| Moschatel | Adoxaceae |
| Nettle | Urticaceae |
| Nightshade | Solanaceae |
| Orchid | Orchidaceae |
| Pea | Fabaceae |
| Pennywort | Hydrocotylaceae |
| Periwinkle | Apocynaceae |
| Phacelia | Hydrophyllaceae |
| Pink | Caryophyllaceae |
| Plantain | Plantaginaceae |
| Pokeweed | Phytolaccaceae |
| Pondweed | Potamogetonaceae |
| Poppy | Papaveraceae |
| Primrose | Primulaceae |
| Purple-loosestrife | Lythraceae |
| Rock-rose | Cistaceae |
| Rose | Rosaceae |
| Saxifrage | Saxifragaceae |
| Scottish Asphodel | Tofieldiaceae |
| Sea-buckthorn | Elaeagnaceae |
| Sea-heath | Frankeniaceae |
| Speedwell | Veronicaceae |
| Spindle | Celastraceae |
| Spurge | Euphorbiaceae |
| St John's-wort | Hypericaceae |
| Stonecrop | Crassulaceae |
| Sundew | Droseraceae |
| Teasel | Dipsacaceae |
| Thrift | Plumbaginaceae |
| Valerian | Valerianaceae |
| Vervain | Verbenaceae |
| Violet | Violaceae |
| Water Fern | Salviniaceae |
| Water-milfoil | Haloragaceae |
| Water-plantain | Alismataceae |
| White Bryony | Cucurbitaceae |
| Willow | Salicaceae |
| Willowherb | Onagraceae |
| Wood-sorrel | Oxalidaceae |
| Scientific Family A-Z | Common Family |
|---|---|
| Acanthaceae | Bear's-breech |
| Adoxaceae | Moschatel |
| Aizoaceae | Dewplant |
| Alismataceae | Water-plantain |
| Amaranthaceae | Goosefoot |
| Amaryllidaceae | Daffodil |
| Apiaceae | Carrot |
| Apocynaceae | Periwinkle |
| Aquifoliaceae | Holly |
| Araceae | Lords-and-Ladies |
| Aristolochiaceae | Birthwort |
| Asparagaceae | Asparagus |
| Asteraceae | Daisy |
| Balsaminaceae | Balsam |
| Berberidaceae | Barberry |
| Betulaceae | Birch |
| Boraginaceae | Borage |
| Brassicaceae | Cabbage |
| Buxaceae | Box |
| Campanulaceae | Bellflower |
| Cannabaceae | Hop |
| Caprifoliaceae | Honeysuckle |
| Caryophyllaceae | Pink |
| Celastraceae | Spindle |
| Cistaceae | Rock-rose |
| Convolvulariaceae | Bindweed |
| Cornaceae | Dogwood |
| Crassulaceae | Stonecrop |
| Cucurbitaceae | White Bryony |
| Dioscoreaceae | Black Bryony |
| Dipsacaceae | Teasel |
| Droseraceae | Sundew |
| Elaeagnaceae | Sea-buckthorn |
| Ericaceae | Heather |
| Euphorbiaceae | Spurge |
| Fabaceae | Pea |
| Fagaceae | Beech |
| Frankeniaceae | Sea-heath |
| Gentianaceae | Gentian |
| Geraniaceae | Crane's-bill |
| Gunneraceae | Giant-rhubarb |
| Haloragaceae | Water-milfoil |
| Hippuridaceae | Mare's-tail |
| Hydrocharitaceae | Frogbit |
| Hydrocotylaceae | Pennywort |
| Hydrophyllaceae | Phacelia |
| Hypericaceae | St John's-wort |
| Iridaceae | Iris |
| Lamiaceae | Dead-nettle |
| Lentibulariaceae | Bladderwort |
| Liliaceae | Lily |
| Linaceae | Flax |
| Lythraceae | Purple-loosestrife |
| Malvaceae | Mallow |
| Melianthiaceae | Herb Paris |
| Menyanthaceae | Bogbean |
| Montiaceae | Blinks |
| Nartheciaceae | Bog Asphodel |
| Oleaceae | Ash |
| Onagraceae | Willowherb |
| Orchidaceae | Orchid |
| Orobanchaceae | Broomrape |
| Oxalidaceae | Wood-sorrel |
| Papaveraceae | Poppy |
| Phrymaceae | Monkeyflower |
| Phytolaccaceae | Pokeweed |
| Plantaginaceae | Plantain |
| Plumbaginaceae | Thrift |
| Polemomiaceae | Jacob's-ladder |
| Polygalaceae | Milkwort |
| Polygonaceae | Knotweed |
| Potamogetonaceae | Pondweed |
| Primulaceae | Primrose |
| Ranunculaceae | Buttercup |
| Resedaceae | Mignonette |
| Rosaceae | Rose |
| Rubiaceae | Bedstraw |
| Salicaceae | Willow |
| Salviniaceae | Water Fern |
| Sapindaceae | Maple |
| Saxifragaceae | Saxifrage |
| Scrophulariaceae | Figwort |
| Solanaceae | Nightshade |
| Thymelaeaceae | Mezereon |
| Tofieldiaceae | Scottish Asphodel |
| Urticaceae | Nettle |
| Valerianaceae | Valerian |
| Verbenaceae | Vervain |
| Veronicaceae | Speedwell |
| Violaceae | Violet |