Botany
461 - Systematics of Vascular Plants - Fall 2004
I.
Overview:
This
course is intended to provide the means for students to recognize some of the
most conspicuous and/or important plant families in their surrounding
environment. Although all
vascular plant groups are covered, the emphasis is clearly on the flowering
plants.
The
first few lectures provide the background necessary to gain a reasonable
perspective of the discipline of taxonomy leading up to and including the
phylogenetic approach adopted by the current text.
All subsequent lectures are very closely integrated with their
corresponding labs. These
lectures are intended to introduce the laboratory material by summarizing and
illustrating features characteristic of the families to be stressed in the
lab.
In
the laboratory, emphasis is placed on the study of living material to provide
a basis for understanding plant variation.
Once a working vocabulary is developed, students are given the
opportunity to learn features that distinguish higher categories of plants.
The primary goal is recognition of a limited number of very important
plant families. Secondary
emphasis is placed on developing the technical skill necessary to use written
devices known as taxonomic keys which allow identification of plant families
with which the student has had no previous experience.
The
course is 4 credits (two 50 minute lectures and two 3 hour labs per week). At
least two field trips are normally scheduled during the semester.
The prerequisite is Bot. 101 or college general biology.
Grades are based on performance in lecture and laboratory examinations and on the quality of a plant collection to be turned in on the last day of instruction. The “lecture/lab” exams listed are very highly integrated, the “lecture” aspect emphasizing the “text book” features of the families, the “lab” aspect emphasizing the student's ability to interpret these features in actual specimens. The first step is necessarily a part of the second. Thus, scheduling both types of exam on the same day for the same set of families is a distinct advantage to the student. Students are expected to compile a notebook that summarizes the features of the plant families surveyed during the course. This will provide an excellent study guide and also be something the participant will take away from the course for potential future reference.
II.
Point Distribution
| Terminology quiz | 30 | |
| Lecture 1 | 95 | |
| Lecture/Lab 1 | 25/50 | |
| Lecture/Lab 2 | 25/50 | |
| Lab final | 60 | |
| Lecture final | 95 | |
| Plant Collection | 70 | |
| _____ | ||
| Total | 500 |
III.
Text and Web Resources
Judd,
W. S., C. S. Campbell, E. A. Kellogg, P. F. Stevens, & M. J. Donoghue.
2002. Plant Systematics: A
Phylogenetic Approach, 2nd ed.
Harris,
J. G., & M. W. Harris. 1994.
Plant Identification Terminology. (optional)
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/pfamilies.htm
IV.
Staff
Instructor:
G. Carr, St.
John 105, 406 (956-3930, gerry@hawaii.edu)
T. A.: Naomi Hoffman, St. John 502 (956-6738, nhoffman@hawaii.edu)
V. Lecture and Laboratory Schedule
|
Date |
Lecture
Topic |
Lab
Topic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 24 |
Introduction
(J1-11) |
Plant
collecting and preservation (J521-525); Taxonomic Literature (J527-534) |
|
|
26 |
History
of taxonomy (J41-53) |
Vegetative
terminology (J55-63) |
|
|
31 |
Plant
names (J511-520) |
Reproductive
terminology (J63-69; 74-80) |
|
|
Sep
2 |
Modern
Methods (J13-39) |
Reproductive
terminology |
|
|
7 |
Review |
TERMINOLOGY QUIZ |
|
|
9 |
Sources
of Information (J69-74; 80-119) |
Sources
of Information – cont’d |
|
|
14 |
Evolution
of Plant Diversity (J121-152) |
Key
construction and use J525-527) |
|
|
16 |
Classification
of Angiosperms (J153-183; 217-221) |
Keying
unknown plants |
|
|
21 |
LECTURE
EXAM 1 |
Practice
using keys |
|
|
23 |
“Basal
Families” & Magnoliid Complex (J223-241) |
Nymphaeaceae,
Magnoliaceae, Annonaceae, Lauraceae, Piperaceae |
|
|
28 |
Monocots
(J241-264) |
Araceae,
Alismataceae, Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae, |
|
|
30 |
Monocots cont’d (J264-284; 292-297) |
Orchidaceae, Arecaceae, Commelinaceae,
Bromeliaceae, Zingiberidaceae |
|
|
Oct
5 |
Monocots
cont’d & Basal Tricolpates (J284-292; 297-307) |
Cyperaceae,
Poaceae, Ranunculaceae, Papaveraceae, Proteaceae |
|
|
7 |
Caryophyllanae
(J307-326) |
Caryophyllaceae,
Nyctaginaceae, Amaranthaceae, Portulacaceae, Cactaceae, Polygonaceae |
|
|
12 |
Review |
Review
and key practice |
|
|
14 |
LECTURE/LAB
EXAM 1 |
LECTURE/LAB
EXAM 1 |
|
|
19 |
Rosid
Clade & Eurosids I (J326-351) |
Crassulaceae,
Oxalidaceae, Celastraceae, Malpighiaceae, Euphorbiaceae |
|
|
21 |
Eurosids
I cont’d (J351-372) |
Clusiaceae,
Violaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae |
|
|
26 |
Eurosids
I cont’d (J372-393) |
Rhamnaceae,
Moraceae, Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fagaceae, Casuarinaceae |
|
|
28 |
Myrtales
& Eurosids II (J393-405) |
Lythraceae,
Combretaceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae, Brassicaceae |
|
|
Nov
2 |
HOLIDAY
ELECTION DAY |
|
|
|
4 |
Eurosids
II cont’d (J405-421) |
Malvaceae,
Rutaceae, Sapindaceae |
|
|
? |
Review |
Review
and key practice |
|
|
9 |
LECTURE/LAB
EXAM 2 |
LECTURE/LAB
EXAM 2 |
|
|
11 |
HOLIDAY VETERANS DAY
|
|
|
|
16 |
Asterid
Clade & Eusterids I (J421-444) |
Sapotaceae,
Myrsinaceae, Ericaceae, Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae, Boraginaceae |
|
|
18 |
Eusterids
I cont’d (J444-464) |
Rubiaceae,
Apocynaceae, Oleaceae, Plantaginaceae, Bignoniaceae, Acanthaceae |
|
|
23 |
Eusterids
I cont’d & Euasterids II (J464-487) |
Verbenaceae,
Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Campanulaceae, Asteraceae |
|
|
25 |
THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY |
|
|
|
30 |
Families of Gymnosperms (J199-214) |
Cycadaceae, Zamiaceae, Araucariaceae,
Cupressaceae, Pinaceae |
|
|
Dec
2 |
Families
of Ferns & Fern Allies (J185-199) |
Psilotaceae,
Lycopodiaceae, Selaginellaceae, Equisetaceae, Gleicheniaceae,
Thelypteridaceae, Polypodiaceae |
|
|
7 |
Review
- Evaluations |
Review
and key practice |
|
|
9 |
Open |
LAB FINAL |
|
|
14 |
LECTURE
FINAL EXAM 12:00-2:00 |
|
|