A Character is the fundamental item of information used in identification.
 Different authors use the following list of words to refer to the same thing: Examples of characters useful in tree or wood identification include:
 
TREE CHARACTERS WOOD CHARACTERS
    Crown Shape
    Leaf Complexity
    Leaf Arrangement
    Twig Width
    Fruit Morphology
    Flowering Time
MACROSCOPIC CHARACTERS:
    Wood Color
    Wood Figure
MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERS
    Vessel Element Density
    Pit Arrangement