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10 How to UseThis Book Within each chapter, plants are arranged alphabetically by family and then genus and species within each family. The first common name listed is the most commonly used in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and then alternative common names are shown. In the case of multiple species within a single entry, only commonly used names are provided. In some cases, a single or few common name(s) are used to describe more than one species (e.g., morningglories ); in such cases we do not include all common names but only those regularly used in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. The next heading includes native and invasive status, USDA PLANTS symbol, and wetland indicator status. Native and invasive status includes the following four categories: (1) native: native to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley ; (2) exotic: not native to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley; (3) naturalized: established in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, but not native; and (4) invasive: noxious, outcompetes other vegetation and can create monotypic stands. The USDA PLANTS symbols (such as ECCO3 for Echinodorus cordifolius) can be typed into the search function at http://plants.usda.gov/ to obtain more detailed information and web links for each plant. Wetland indicator status denotes the frequency of occurrence within wetlands: OBL (obligate wetland ): occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands (estimated probability greater than 99); FACW (facultative wetland): usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67–99), but occasionally found in areas that are not wetlands; FAC (facultative): equally likely to occur in wetlands (estimated probability 34–66) or areas that are not wetlands; FACU (facultative upland): usually occurs in areas that are not wetlands, but occasionally found in wetlands (estimated probability 1–33); and UPL (upland): less than 1 occurrence in wetlands. The wetland indicator status codes used in this book are for Mississippi,Arkansas, and Louisiana (Region 2; Reed 1988). 11 How to UseThis Book habits and habitat: Describes general growth characteristics (annual or perennial) and form (e.g., clumping, from rhizomes), locations of plants within moist-soil habitats, ecology (e.g., monotypic stands), and other distinguishing characteristics. Distinguishing Characteristics seedlings: If available, descriptions of seedlings were included to help distinguish plants early in development. In some cases, we were unable to find references describing seedlings and did not include a description . Proper identification of plants early in development is helpful for many management actions and can help control invasive species prior to establishment. buds: Included in chapter on trees and shrubs in place of seedling descriptions . stems and leaves: Descriptions of shape, length, width, color, and other features of stems (e.g., hairy) and leaves (e.g., opposite or alternate orientation ). flowers or seed clusters: Descriptions of shape, length, width, and color of flowers or seed clusters. Flower timing (e.g., May to September). Because flowers are small on grasses, seed clusters (often referred to as“seed heads”) are described instead. fruit and seed: Descriptions of shape, length, width, color, and features of fruits (e.g., nuts, samaras, berries, achenes) and seeds. Fruiting or seed maturity timing (e.g., June to October).All seed pictures include a scale in which each tick is equal to ₁⁄₁₆ in. similar plants: We provide common and scientific names of similar plants, along with a page number where the plant can be found in this book or the USDA PLANTS symbol, which can be entered into the search function at http://plants.usda.gov. This section also often includes key features needed to differentiate between similar plants. ...

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