Definition
noun
A reference tool consisting of three or more characters at each branching point for use in identifying species.
Supplement
Word origin: poly- (many) + New Latin -tomia, from Greek -tomiā, from tomos, a cutting, from temnein, to cut.
Compare: dichotomous key
Dictionary > Polytomous key
You will also like...
Amphibians & Early Reptiles
Obtaining air outside an aquatic environment required species to acquire suitable adaptations, and this was the case of ..
New Zealand’s Biodiversity
Find out more about New Zealand's unique biodiversity by exploring a range of different ecosystems and the key role of s..
Fruits, Flowers, and Seeds
This tutorial deals with the structure and function of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Also included here are the types of f..
Vascular Plants: Ferns and Relatives
Ferns and their relatives are vascular plants, meaning they have xylem and phloem tissues. Because of the presence of va..
Role of Golgi Apparatus & Endoplasmic Reticulum in Protein Synthesis
The endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus are the organelles involved in the translation step of protein synthesis a..
A Balanced Vitamin Diet – Vitamins A – K
A balanced diet is essential to a healthy organism. Insufficiency or too much of a particular element or compound, such ..