Flower key petals and stamens – Use this key to find which family a plant belongs to. To find other keys click HERE
Flower key petals and stamens. Flowering plant families can be identified using this key based on the number of petals and stamens in the flower. Count the number of petals in each flower. The 8 Monocot families all have flowers with 6 ‘petal-like’ tepals. The 34 Eudicot families have flowers with 0,3, 4, 5, 6 or more petals but most of these Eudicot families have 4 or 5 petal flowers and to identify these families count the number of stamens inside the flower as well as the number of petals. To go to an Index of Families click HERE. To learn more about petals and stamens click HERE.
0 PETALS Euphorbia
3 PETALS Acanthus
4 PETALS
Cabbage (Brassicacae), Poppy, Willowherb, Olive, Heath, Plantain, Honeysuckle. Click HERE for the 4 PETAL key
5 PETALS
75% eudicot families have 5 petal flowers so click HERE for the 5 PETAL key
6 or MORE PETALS
Loosestrife, Buttercup (anemones, celandine, aconite, delphiniums, ) Olive (Jasmine), Stonecrop(leeks) and double cherries and carnations
6 TEPALS
All Monocot families have 2 sets of 3 tepals
Alstroemeria, Colchicum, Lily, Iris, Orchid, Asphodel, Daffodil, Asparagus
4 PETAL KEY
For flowers with 4 petals look at the number of stamens in each flower
2 STAMENS 4 PETALS
Plantain (Speedwell, Toadflax), Poppy (Bleeding Heart), Olive (Lilac, Olive)
4 STAMENS 4 PETALS
Honeysuckle (Scabious, Teasel) Figwort(Buddleia)
6 STAMENS 4 PETALS
Cabbage (all species)
8 STAMENS 4 PETALS
Willowherb (Fuchsia, Evening Primrose, Great and Rosebay Willowherbs)
MANY STAMENS 4 PETALS
Poppy (all Poppies), Buttercup (Traveller’s Joy)
5 PETAL KEY
For flowers with 5 petals look at the number of stamens in each flower. The commonest arrangement is for each petal to have 1 stamen and in these families nearly all the species in the family will have the same arrangement. The next most common arrangement is for each petal to have 2 stamens per petal. Evolutionarily ‘primitive’ families such as the Buttercup have many stamens per petal.
1/2 STAMENS 5 PETALS
1.Honeysuckle (Red Valerian)
2. Mint (Salvia)
4 STAMENS 5 PETALS
Plantain (antirrhinum, penstemon, foxglove)
Mint (non-salvia)
Verbena
Figwort (common)
5 STAMENS 5 PETALS
| Violet |
| Sea Lavender |
| Phlox |
| Primrose |
| Heath |
| Periwinkle |
| Borage |
| Convolvulus |
| Nightshade |
| Bellflower |
| Daisy |
| Umbellifer |
| Honeysuckle |
10 STAMENS 5 PETALS
| Saxifrage |
| Stonecrop |
| Pea |
| Geranium |
| Pink |
| Heath (Rhododendron) |
MANY STAMENS 5 PETALS
| Buttercup |
| Rose |
| St John’s-wort |
| Mallow |
| Rockrose |