Are there any good ways to judge whether a plant is an annual or perennial without completely removing if from the soil? Sometimes, while attempting a botanical key, I will come across a couplet like “annual, plant has taproot” vs. “perennial, plant has rhizomes”, but I am hesitant to destroy the plant simply to check what root type it has, especially if the plant’s identity is uncertain and the genus contains some rare species. This is especially common in my experience with grasses, though I have encountered dicot genera like this as well. Are there any field marks, perhaps at the base of the plant, that would suggest the plant will regrow the following year? Not sure if this is really the place to ask, but I’m sure there are talented botanists that frequent this forum and since it is not related to the identification of any specific observation, rather for my own edification going forth, I suspect it is likely allowed.
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with grasses you have to look for sterile sprouts beside the flowering/fruiting ones. In annuals all the sprouts end up flowering, in perennials many remain non-flowering during the season and will flower the next season. Some sterile sprouts may be somehow hidden at the level of the ground.
Moreover, those species that display a rhizomatous habitus are only perennial while those that are single-stemmed are only annual.
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