We live in a world blessed with sights that are beautiful beyond words. Every human being dreams of and possesses a desire to visit those places in their lifetime. Living in modern cities with high-rise buildings, we tend to miss out on what mother-nature has to offer and some of the man-made structures par excellence.

Look at these places and you will see beauty that fills the eye and warms the heart. It is not only inappropriate to just pick a few places from the huge expanse of the world but also humanly impossible.

They say that ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,’ and there are perhaps other places that have touched your heart. For this reason, we do not claim that these places we are bringing to you are the best, but they are certainly among the most beautiful places of the world.

1、美国 大峡谷 

The Grand Canyon, United States

A steep gorge by the Colorado River, Arizona in United States, this has the most enjoyable scenery. It is 277 miles in length, 4 to 18 miles in width and about a mile in depth. Scientists are of the opinion that the canyon has been created by the Colorado River over a six million year period.

Native Americans built settlements in the caves within the canyon before the emigration of Europeans. It was also considered to be a site of pilgrimage by the Pueblo people. The first recorded visit to the Grand Canyon by the Europeans was in 1869. Although, it is not the deepest canyon in the world, it is known for its extremely huge size and beautifully intricate landscape. The Grand Canyon National Park is said to be one of the first National Parks in the United States and attracts more than five million visitors a year. Weather conditions in the Grand Canyon vary a great deal between seasons as well as elevation. While winter snow is experienced by the higher elevated forested rims, the inner gorge has a desert temperature because of the low elevation.

 2、澳大利亚 大堡礁 

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef. It has the distinction of being placed in the World Heritage as well as the National Heritage lists.

With more than 600 islands and coral cays, the reef covers more than 300,000 sq. km. Corals make up the several reefs and cays and are responsible for a huge variety of sea life in the reef; including green turtles, several varieties of whales and dolphins, dugong, about 4000 types of mollusk, 1500 different species of fish as well as a beautiful colored bird life with 200 species. The Great Reef Marine Park is a huge tourist attraction with more than a couple of million tourists visiting the area each year. Sporting includes activities such as reef sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling amongst several others.

 3、南非 开普敦 

Cape Town, South Africa

Aptly called “heaven on earth,” this beautiful town at the tip of the African continent, with small roads surrounded by huge mountains, makes a person feel small; showing how marvelous and dominating nature can actually be.

The Cape Dutch style buildings depict the architectural heritage of the place. Beauty abounds in the black clouds that seem to pay homage to Table Mountain at all times. Cape Point, Signal Hill, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Robben Island, Rhodes Memorial and the beaches are some of the famous tourist attractions. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town is famous for its natural floral kingdom as well as its harbor. This town is one of the most popular tourist attractions of South Africa, with its wine tasting day trips, whale watching and dolphin watching.

4、印度 泰姬陵

Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal in India is one of the wonders of the world and is one of the most beautiful mausoleums constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Located in Agra, white marble is used in the creation of this symbol of love and is considered to be the pinnacle of the famous Mughal architecture.

Story goes that the emperor was grief stricken when he lost his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took several thousands of craftsmen, artisans and about twenty years to construct it. The masons, stonecutters, carvers, inlayers, calligraphers, painters and others were brought from the entire empire as well as from Iran and Central Asia. Semi-precious stones were used for inlay ornamentation. It later became the mausoleum of Shah Jahan too. This is a huge tourist attraction with one to two million tourists visiting it every year.

 5、加拿大 落基山脉

Canadian Rockies, Canada

The majestic Canadian Rockies are the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky mountains. They are a visitor’s wonderland and the playground for western Canada. They are older than the American

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   &nbsp;written by <a href='http://Apiaceae.github.io'>Hooker</a>
   &nbsp;posted at <a href='http://Apiaceae.github.io'>http://Apiaceae.github.io</a>
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α-分类学(或者简单的说：分类学)是发现、描述和对有机体进行分门别类的科学，它的研究结果就是分类群taxa (singular: taxon) 的提出和认可，并且给这些分类群按照科学的方法进行命名named.

按照传统的林奈分类 Linnaean taxonomy，分类群有七个主要的等级：界Kingdom门Phylumor Division,纲Class, 目Order科Family属Genus种 Species. α-分类学主要关注种水平上的分类，然后把这些种归类到相应的属、科等等。

分类学这个术语原本一直有明确的含义，但是随着科学研究的发展，这个词获得了一些另外的含义，导致了一下含糊不清的情况。这主要是归因与系统学systematics和分类学taxonomy这两个概念的交错、融合和交织不清的关系。

• In today's usage, Taxonomy (as a science) deals with finding, describing and naming organisms. This science is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include Natural History Museums, Herbaria and Botanical Gardens.
• Systematics (as a science) deals with the relationships between taxa, especially at the higher levels. These days systematics is greatly influenced by data derived from DNA from nuclei, mitochondria and chloroplasts. This is sometimes known as molecular systematics which is becoming increasingly more common, perhaps at the expense of traditional taxonomy (Wheeler, 2004).

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/07/%E4%BB%80%E4%B9%88%E6%98%AF%CE%B1-%E5%88%86%E7%B1%BB%E5%AD%A6-Alpha+taxonomy/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/07/%E5%BB%BA%E7%AB%8B%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E9%AB%98%E7%AD%89%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E5%90%8D%E7%A7%B0%E9%93%B6%E8%A1%8C%E7%9A%84%E5%BF%85%E8%A6%81%E6%80%A7/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

有机体的信息经常通过名称来管理

Information about organisms is often linked to a name.

This can create problems in information retrieval because:

• One taxon can have many names.

• The same name can refer to many taxa.

uBio is working on tools for providers of biological information that address these problems.

The uBio Taxonomic Name Server acts as a name thesaurus.

Names have many different classes of relationships that can be used to organize and retrieve information that is annotated with names. These classes are divided into two inter-connected services.

NameBank is a repository of millions of recorded biological names and facts that link those names together. [more]

ClassificationBank stores multiple classifications and taxonomic concepts that are the result of expert opinions. It extends the functionality of NameBank. [more]

All data within these components are linked to mechanisms that provide credit and attribution to experts who provide name and linkage information within the TNS. [more]

Lastly, NameBank promotes the emergence of a layered biological informatics infrastructure that allows different expert systems to share common information. This conserves scarce resources and enhances the means to support continued expert work. [more]

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/07/uBio-%E7%94%9F%E7%89%A9%E6%9C%89%E6%9C%BA%E4%BD%93%E7%9A%84%E5%90%8D%E7%A7%B0%E9%93%B6%E8%A1%8C/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

There is an interesting and short editorial in this weeks Nature about the closure of Google Research Datasets (formally part of Googles Palimpsest project which I learnt about in SciFoo2007 and later in SciFoo2008). Despite the collapse, Amazon is getting into the business of hosting large research data sets for free, which (according to Nature) should inspire greater use of its S3 cloud computing network. For those who can't access Nature you don't need to read their editorial as their tag line says it all:

"Initiatives for digital research infrastructure should focus more on making standardized data openly available, and less on developing new portals."

This is a salient lesson for biodiversity initiatives such as EDIT, EOL, and (less so) BHL. Set free the data and stop building data silos.

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/05/%E8%A7%A3%E6%94%BE%E6%80%9D%E6%83%B3-%E8%A7%A3%E6%94%BE%E6%95%B0%E6%8D%AE/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/05/%E7%94%B5%E5%AD%90%E5%88%86%E7%B1%BB%E5%AD%A6%E7%9A%84%E5%8F%91%E5%B1%95%E5%89%8D%E6%99%AF/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

The first biogeographical map

The first biogeographical map was published in the third edition of the Flore franc竌ise by Lamarck and Candolle in 1805, the same year in which Humboldt’s famous Essai sur la Geographie appeared. Lamarck and Candolle’s map marks the beginning of a deive or classificatory biogeography focusing on the study of biota rather than on the distributional pathways of taxa. The map is relevant because it heralds the beginning of the creation of biogeographical maps popularized by zoogeographers in the mid- to late nineteenth century together with the study of biogeographical regions.

see more details on Journal of Biogeography

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/04/01/the-early-biogeography-map/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

“即使你不是一位天才，你照样可以使用象爱因斯坦和亚里士多德一样的思考战略与战术来增强你的思维创造性，并更好地设计你的未来。”（迈克尔·麦克语）

迈克尔·麦克是《思想家玩具》(商务发明创造手册)、《思考丛书》(脑筋急转弯卡系列)和《突发奇想：天才家们的发明秘密》的作者。在其《天才式思考：从亚里士多德到里那德、从爱因斯坦到爱迪生超级发明家常用的八种战略与战术》一书中，对天才所使用的学习和思考问题的方法进行了归纳和总结。

以下这些思维方式是历史上在科学界、美术界以及工业领域内有作为的天才们所通用的具有创造性的思维模式。这些思维方式能够帮助普通人了解天才，并丰富自己解决问题的方法，提高学习和工作的效率。

1．从不同的角度去看问题，发现别人从未想到(或还没有公开发表过)的新论点

列奥拉多•达•芬奇认为：为了找出问题的本质，你应用不同的方法重新组合它。他认为他第一次看某个问题时总是不全面。

通常情况下，重新组合后的问题本身会以一种新的方式呈现出来。

2．具体化

当爱因斯坦遇到一个难题时，他总是使用尽可能多的不同方法来展示问题，包括使用多种图表。他坚信在他的思考过程中，一万句话或数字所起的作用远不如一张图表给他的启发能形象地说明问题。

3．亲自动手

天才们最大的特点是高生产率。

汤姆斯·爱迪生拥有1093种发明创造。为了保证工作效率，他给自己以及助手们规定新点子配额。

加州戴维斯州立大学的校长凯斯·辛姆敦通过研究历史上的2036名科学家发现：最受人尊敬的科学家们不仅有非常伟大的创新，同时也有许多“不佳”的想法。但是，这些科学家们从不怕失败，也不怕平庸，通过坚持不懈的努力，最终取得胜利。

4．做新组合，不怕与别人不一样或不合常理，将所有的看法、想法和想象以不同的方式重新组合

现代遗传学是以奥地利修道士孟德尔的遗传法则为基础发展而来，孟德尔将数学的方法引入自己的研究，从而发现了实验中蕴涵的规律，并由此成为遗传学的鼻祖。

5．找出彼此之间的关系，将不类似的事物联系起来

达•芬奇通过将铃声和石头落水声联系起来找到了声音是以波浪式传播的。莫尔斯通过观察驿站而发明了莫尔斯电码中继站。

6．反向思维

物理学家奈尔斯·鲍尔相信，假如你将物质的对立面放在一起来思考，那么你的思维运动就可以上升到一个新的高度。他能够将光想象成粒子与波浪的能力促使他发明了互补定律。悬念(逻辑思维)可以让你的大脑创造出新的模式。

7．形象思维

亚里士多德认为比喻是天才的一种象征，一个能够看到两种不同领域的相似之处的人是天才，再能把这些相似之处联系起来是需要特殊天赋的。

8．增强应变能力

每当我们尝试做什么事失败后，我们就该做别的。这就是发明创造的第一原则。如果我们不单纯地认为失败是没有任何意义的，不单纯地局限于失败本身，而是重新分析整个过程，所有的成份，以及如何改变它们以达到不同的结果，我们就可以转败为胜，变失败为成功。

不要问：“为什么我失败了？”，而应该问：“我做了什么？”

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/03/31/%E5%A4%A9%E6%89%8D%E7%9A%84%E5%85%AB%E7%A7%8D%E5%AD%A6%E4%B9%A0%E5%92%8C%E6%80%9D%E7%BB%B4%E6%96%B9%E6%B3%95/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io

从人的发展角度来看，教育的作用由低到高应该有三个层次：第一，使受教育者知道世界是什么样的，成为一个有知识的人，一个客观的人；第二，使受教育者知道世界为什么是这样的，成为一个会思考的人，一个有分析能力的人；第三，使受教育者知道怎样才能使世界更美好，成为一个勇于探索和创造的人。可见，从人的发展角度看，培养具有创新精神和创造能力的人是教育的最高境界和最终目的。基础教育的任务正是为人的发展打基础，当然也为人的创新精神和创造能力打基础，而创造能力的核心是创造性思维能力，因此，基础教育就应该重视培养学生的创造性思维能力。

一、创造性思维的涵义及本质
　　创造性思维可以理解为主体在强烈的创新意识驱使下，通过发散思维和集中思维，运用直觉思维和逻辑思维，借助形象思维和抽象思维等思维方式，对头脑中的知识、信息进行新的思维加工组合，形成新的思想、新的观点、新的理论的思维过程。通俗地说，凡是突破传统习惯所形成的思维定势的思维活动，都可以称为创造性思维。创造性思维是一种突破常规的思维方式，它在很大程度上是以直观、猜测和想象为基础而进行的一种思维活动。这种独特的思维常使人产生独到的见解和大胆的决策，获得意想不到的效果。
　　现在，人们对创造性思维的某些方面认识还没有完全统一。笔者认为，理解创造性思维的涵义还要注意以下几点：第一、创造性思维是复杂的高级思维过程，它并不是脱离其它思维的另一种什么特殊的思维。第二、创造性思维是多种思维有机结合的产物，而绝不是多种思维机械相加的结果。而且，在不同的创造性思维活动中，总是以某一种思维为主导而进行的。第三、创造性思维固然有它独有的活动规律，但它也必须遵循其它思维的活动规律。
　　创造性思维是多种思维方式的有机结合 ，而不同的思维方式既互为排斥又互相补充，也就是对立统一的关系，因而，可以说创造性思维本质上就是各种不同的思维方式的对立统一。
　　1.创造性思维是集中思维和发散思维的对立统一
集中思维是指人们解决问题的思路朝一个方向聚敛前进，从而形成唯一的、确定的答案。发散思维则是指人们解决问题时，从某一特定目标出发，思维向外辐射，沿着各种不同的途径和方向，从多角度、多方面思考、想象，从而探索出多种多样的设想和解决问题的办法，即产生出大量的独特的新思想。因此不少人认为，创造性思维只包含发散思维，这是很不完全的。发散思维可以使人的思路活跃，提出各种各样的待选方案，特别是它能提出出乎意料的独特见解。然而，如果仅停留在发散思维阶段，那么就会使人犹豫不决，不易抓住问题的本质和关键，达不到创造的目的，所以创造性思维还应包含集中思维，是发散思维和集中思维的对立统一。这种对立统一关系主要表现在以下几方面：第一，只有集中了才能发散。由于问题的产生大多是集中思维的产物，所以，集中是为了更好地发散；第二，只有发散了才能进一步集中。人们为了寻求独创性的设想，常常任自己的思想自由发散，但是，发散的结果并不都是有价值的，往往有相当多的谬误，所以，大量发散还要通过集中导出正确的结论；第三，发散度高，集中性好，创造水平才会高。我国教育长期以来较重视集中思维的培养，对发散思维重视不够，今后应对发散思维的培养予以足够的重视。
　　2.创造性思维是逻辑思维和直觉思维的对立统一
逻辑思维是严格遵循逻辑规律，逐步分析与推导，最后得出合乎逻辑的正确答案和结论的思维活动。直觉思维是一种没有完整的分析过程与逻辑程序，依靠灵感和顿悟，快速地作出判断和结论的思维活动。例如大陆漂移学说的创立者魏格纳，躺在病床上观察墙上的世界地图突发奇想：大西洋两岸大陆轮廓的凸凹竟如此吻合，会不会原来就是一个整体呢？魏格纳的这种依靠灵感和顿悟的思维方式就是直觉思维。直觉思维可以创造性地发现新问题、提出新概念、新思想、新理论，是创造性思维的主要形式。
　　当然，逻辑思维与直觉思维相互促进、相互联系，逻辑思维是直觉思维的基础，直觉思维是高度成熟的逻辑思维的产物。没有直觉思维做先导，难以提出新问题、新设想，可以说，直觉思维在创造活动中起着决定性作用。但新思想、新设想提出之后，仍需要用逻辑思维进行推理和论证，因此，我们不能排斥或贬低逻辑思维在创造活动中的作用。事实上，整个创造性思维的发展都是在逻辑思维和直觉思维的交叉状态下进行的。
　　3、创造性思维是抽象思维与形象思维的对立统一
　　抽象思维是舍弃非本质属性，抽取出事物本质属性的思维过程，形象思维是凭借事物的具体形象和表象的联想 、想象来进行思维的活动。形象思维在创造性思维活动中所起的作用在于创造想象参与思维过程，使思维活动能够结合以往的经验，在想象中形成创造性的新形象，提出新的假设，创造想象参与思维过程是创造活动顺利开展的关键。
　　抽象思维和形象思维相辅相承，缺一不可，形象思维是抽象思维的基础，抽象思维是形象思维的发展。在基础教育阶段，从小学、初中到高中，学生的思维方式逐步由形象思维为主变为抽象思维为主，因此，创造性思维能力的培养是基础教育不可忽视的内容。
　　由以上分析可见，发散思维、直觉思维和形象思维在创造活动中起着非常重要甚至是决定性的作用，但创造性思维也离不开集中思维、逻辑思维和抽象思维，创造性思维正是这些不同思维方式的对立统一。

二、创造性思维的培养意义和培养途径
　　综观中外历史上的科学家和发明者，他们往往兴趣广泛、思路敏捷，具有独到的创造性思维能力。如飞机上天、潜艇入海、飞船登月、现代仿生学的产生、相对论的创立、克隆羊的诞生……所有这些发明创造都是创造性思维的结果。正如1997年诺贝尔物理学奖获得者朱棣文所说的那样："科学的最高目标是要不断发现新的东西，因此，要想在科学上取得成功，最重要的一点就是要学会用与别人不同的思维方式、别人忽略的思维方式来思考问题，也就是说要有一定的创造性。"
　　正是具备了足够的创造性思维能力，人类才产生了永不停息的创造活动，从而推动着历史进步。试想若无第一件生产工具就无人猿区别；无冶铁技术就无农业文明时代的到来；无蒸汽机、机器制造就无工业文明时代的到来；若无第二次世界大战后出现的新的科技革命浪潮，人类就不会如此迅速地奔向信息社会。
　　现在，知识经济时代正向我们走来，国际竞争日趋激烈，科技发明与创造层出不穷。我国是一个发展中国家，要跻身于世界发达国家行列，培养大批具有创造能力的人才是当务之急。江泽民总书记强调指出："创新是一个民族进步的灵魂，是国家兴旺发达的不竭的动力……一个没有创新能力的民族，难以屹立在世界之林。"第三次全国教育工作会议尤其强调"素质教育要以培养学生的创新精神和实践能力为重点"。
可见，培养学生的创新精神和以创造性思维为核心的创造能力是社会发展的需要，也是人类自身发展的需要。
　　从创造性思维的概念可知，创造性思维的形成需要有创新意识的驱使，创造性思维的过程是"对头脑中的知识、信息进行新的思维加工组合"，所以，教师在教学中应努力创设有效的氛围，培养学生的创新意识，发展学生的多种思维，并促使各种思维方式的有机结合。
　　1、培养学生的创新意识
　　创新意识是创造性思维的基础，它不受定势的束缚，不人云亦云，不迷信权威、教师和教材，勇于从"确信无疑"的答案或结论中发现破绽，提出疑问，独创己见，独树一帜。人们所说的"标新立异"实际上就很有创新意识。教学中应注意学生创新意识的培养。
　　①倡导建立"畅所欲言、各抒己见"的学习氛围，为学生提供独立活动、自我表现的机会和条件。例如，允许学生对课本观点发表不同看法，提倡师生讨论、争论；欢迎学生对专家理论提出异议；对学生的"异想天开、不可思议"的言行及时予以评价和肯定；不抹杀瞬间的"闪光点"，善于捕捉学生创造性思维的火花。
　　②鼓励"独创己见、坚持己见"的自信心和勇气。引导学生学会查资料、找证据、求事实，千方百计论证自己的观点，想方设法证实自己的见解，鼓励学生不要"随大流"，要有敢于坚持真理、勇往直前的大无畏精神。
　　2.立足课堂教学，培养学生创造性思维
　　教学目的是通过一节节"课"来实现的，因此，课堂教学是培养学生创造性思维的主渠道。
　　① 设疑发散，多思善问
　　亚里士多德曾讲过，"思维自疑问和惊奇开始"，创造性思维培养更是如此。教师要在课堂上创设问题情境，不断质疑，因为有疑才有思。提出问题后要给学生留出思考的时间，不宜迫不及待地将答案和盘托出、将结论直接奉献。教师所提的问题要打破思维的旧框框，富有启发性、思考性，并从多角度、全方位提问，鼓励学生进行发散思维，不必把学生的答案都集中到与自己的答案一致才算正确。另外，还要鼓励学生多问，不可嘲笑学生的问题"可笑"、"古怪"、"钻牛角尖"，否则会大大挫伤学生提问的积极性，从而扑灭创造性思维的"火苗"。
　　②敢想敢做、启发发现
　　有位科学家说过:"人们'不可能'做的事，往往不是由于缺乏力量和金钱，而是由于缺乏想象和观念。"丰富的想象，尤其是创造想象的参与是创造性思维的关键。生物学家达尔文小时候创造想象就很丰富，他想象着用各种颜色的液体浇在报春花上，让它开出五颜六色的花来，如今达尔文当年的创造想象都变成了现实。事生于虑，成于做。有了创造性思维的"火苗"，还要

   original link:
   <a href='http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/03/31/%E5%88%9B%E9%80%A0%E6%80%A7%E6%80%9D%E7%BB%B4%E8%83%BD%E5%8A%9B%E5%8F%8A%E5%85%B6%E5%9F%B9%E5%85%BB/'>http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/03/31/%E5%88%9B%E9%80%A0%E6%80%A7%E6%80%9D%E7%BB%B4%E8%83%BD%E5%8A%9B%E5%8F%8A%E5%85%B6%E5%9F%B9%E5%85%BB/</a><br/>
   &nbsp;written by <a href='http://Apiaceae.github.io'>Hooker</a>
   &nbsp;posted at <a href='http://Apiaceae.github.io'>http://Apiaceae.github.io</a>
   </p>

The Parsley Family includes some wonderful edible plants like the carrot and parsnip, plus more aromatic spices found in your spice cabinet, such as anise, celery, chervil, coriander, caraway, cumin, dill, fennel and of course, parsley. But unlike the Mustard or Mint families, the Parsleys are not all safe for picking and eating. In fact, the Parsley family is among the most important families of plants to learn, since it includes the deadliest plants in North America: poison hemlock and water hemlock. Note that the hemlock tree is totally unrelated.

For identification, the most distinctive pattern of the Parsley family is the "compound umbels". Notice how all the stems of the flower cluster radiate from a single point at the end of the stalk, kind of like an umbrella. At the end of each of these flower stems there is another umbrella of even smaller stems, hence the "compound umbrella" or "compound umbel". To be a true umbel, the stems or spokes must all radiate from exactly the same point. Other flowers like the common yarrow may appear to have compound umbels, but look closer and you will see that the flower stems are staggered off the main stalk, so the yarrow is not a member of this family. Another pattern of the Parsley family is that the stems are usually, but not always hollow. Kids have been poisoned using hemlock stems for straws.

When you recognize the compound umbels of the Parsley family then you know you have to be careful. You must be 100% certain of what these plants are before you harvest them for food or medicine. More than that, you must be right! People die just about every year thinking they have discovered some kind of wild carrot.

So how do you distinguish the poisonous members of the family? Don't rush it. You might think that learning plants is just a matter of filling up the disk space in your head with data, but there is a bit more to it than that. No matter what you study, whether it is plant identification, art, or math, you learn by connecting neurons in the brain to build a neural network for processing the information. Getting started is the most dangerous time, because all the plants tend to look alike– kind of green mostly. Just practice pointing out compound umbels everywhere you go, starting with the dill or fennel in the garden. The more you practice this and other family patterns, the more you will learn to see just how unique and different each plant is.

When you are proficient at recognizing the major plant families, then go back and start studying more of the individual plants. Even then, avoid rushing to conclusions. Keep in mind that when your goal is to find an answer, then you will find one, whether it is right or not.

If you are positive that you have identified a member of the Parsley family correctly, that's good. Now wait and see if you are still sure of your answer in a few days or a week. When you get good at recognizing certain species every time you see them, then you might consider trying out their appropriate edible or medicinal uses. Worldwide there are about 300 genera in the Parsley family, representing more than 3000 species. About 75 genera are native to North America.

original link: http://Apiaceae.github.io/blog/2009/03/31/%E4%BC%9E%E5%BD%A2%E7%A7%91%E6%A4%8D%E7%89%A9%E7%9A%84%E5%88%86%E7%B1%BB%E7%9F%A5%E8%AF%86/
 written by Hooker  posted at http://Apiaceae.github.io