Tip #5 Use Comparisons
Sometimes the easiest way to learn a plant is to learn comparisons between it and another look-alike. This can be an especially important technique to use when dealing with a plant (or mushroom) that has a very poisonous look-alike.
These pictures compare the very pretty and edible Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) against the very poisonous Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum). Not all points of difference are shown, but you can see on the left, Queen Anne’s Lace has a little “tutu” under the flowers (botanically called a bract), which differs from Poison Hemlock. When the flowers are pollinated and going to seed they also fold into a bird’s nest. Moreover, whereas Poison Hemlock has smooth stems with purple blotches, Queen Anne’s Lace has hairy stems. In other words: “The queen’s legs are hairy”. (Remember Tip #2?!)
Although not pictured here, an important comparison to learn for mushrooms—if you are the kind of mushroom hunter that likes to eat foraged mushrooms—is between The Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) and the common field mushroom (Agaricus campestris).
There are many look alikes out there, so if you are going to use a plant, make sure you know it’s look alike!
Follow these posts to learn other Plant ID Tips & Tricks…
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Queen Anne’s Lace Photo by Charles de Mille-Isles from Mille-Isles, Canada – Daucus carota / carotte sauvage / queen Anne
Poison Hemlock photo by Yoan Martin