We will start in the classroom, taking time to study each plant specimen carefully, at the same time as working our way throughthe keys to their identity. We will work as a group on specimens of the same species at any one time. We will focus on relativelysimple flowers to help you gain confidence for working on your own. Weather permitting, we will spend some time workingoutside in Tyland Barn Nature Park. We will work together or in pairs (but always under supervision) on the identity of selectedspecies.

Many of the key identification features are also the features that botanists use to classify plants into look-alike groups. Thiscourse will encourage you to appreciate the key characteristics of some of these look-alike groups – notably some commonlyrepresented ‘families’ (and ‘genera’). Recognising such characteristics provides short cuts in the process of using botanical keys.

This course is designed to give you confidence at identifying flowering plants using botanical keys. In doing so, it will also giveyou a better understanding of a wide range of botanical terms and flowering plant classification. Using a key is not rocket science but can be fun. The important thing is to understand the terminology used and to hunt carefully for the distinguishingfeatures.

Please note that this course is for beginners. We are running a Wildflower Identification for Intermediates' Study Day on 5 and 6 July. Our intermediates' course is a two-day follow-up to this beginners' course. You may already feel equipped to jump directly to our intermediates' course. However, if you have any doubt at all, we strongly recommend that you start with this course which is for beginners.

By the end of the course it is expected that you will have gained:

A working knowledge of relevant botanical terms
An insight into flowering plant classification
Confidence in using scientific keys to Identification, notably of the flowering plants

Led by Ros Bennett, Botanist

Suitable for beginners and those improvers who might be familiar with several plant species, but have no prior knowledge offloral structure or experience using scientific keys to identification. This course is followed by Wildflower Identification forIntermediates on 5 and 6 July

Beginners' Guide to Wildflower Identification