Növényhasonlító

Növényhasonlító is a term used in Hungarian botany to describe a tool, method, or system for comparing plants. Its primary purpose is to assess similarity among plant specimens in order to aid identification or to explore relationships among taxa. The concept can encompass a wide range of activities, from simple field checklists to computerized analyses of plant features.

Etymology and meaning: The word is formed from növény meaning plant and hasonlító meaning comparator or something that makes things resemble each other. The suffix -ító indicates an instrument or agent, so növényhasonlító denotes an instrument or method for comparing plants.

Applications and methods: Manual approaches include dichotomous keys, trait matrices, and scoring schemes that record morphological features such as leaf shape and arrangement, venation, flower morphology, and fruit type. Digital approaches involve image-based comparison, morphometric analysis, or AI-assisted similarity scoring using large trait datasets. In education and outreach, növényhasonlító tools help users learn to recognize and differentiate species.

Relation to taxonomy: It is not a formal taxonomic rank or category, but rather a practical aid that supports identification, classification, and the study of variation within and between species. It is commonly used in field guides, herbarium work, museums, and classroom settings.

Examples: In the field, a botanist may employ a növényhasonlító approach to decide whether a specimen matches a known species by matching key features to a reference key. In teaching, students compare images of specimens to determine potential identifications.

See also: Plant identification, Taxonomic key, Morphometrics, Phylogenetics, Botanical comparison.