How to use the key to identify a twig of Elder

To use the key, you have to answer three questions about your leafy twig.

Here is a twig of Elder:-

FIRST QUESTION

Are the leaves simple? or compound?

Is this ONE leaf with 6 leaflets or 6 separate simple leaves?
Here is the diagram to help:-

The secret is to look for the "axillary bud" (the bud in the angle between the leaf and the stem).

So, this must be a "compound leaf".

SECOND QUESTION

As the leaves are compound, are they trifoliate? or pinnate? or palmate?

Our leaves are clearly Pinnate:-

THIRD QUESTION

How are the leaves arranged on the stem (do not look at leaves at the tip of the twig, but lower down)?

Are they alternate or opposite?

	Alternate	Opposite
Simple
Compound

Now we understand these terms, we are ready to enter the main part of the key, so we would click the box below (which doesn't do anything on this demonstration page!)

This would take you to the index page for leafy twigs and we could choose the COMPOUND, PINNATE box:-

This leads to a page where we make the choice that the leaves are "opposite":-

This leads to a page where we get the chance to check that our leaf matches one of the choices and then (if the leaf looks like ours) to go to the page about Elder:-

...and we're there:-

Now, we're able to check whether the flowers, fruits and bark are like our tree and whether the distribution map tells us that Elder has been found in our part of UK (it grows almost everywhere!). If you click on the small "thumbnail" photos, you can see them full size.

Now you have followed this, you are ready to enter the website (this time the link will work!):-