BIOL 348 - Plant Taxonomy
Spring 2008
Instructor: Lawrence A.
Alice, Ph.D.
Office: TCNW 218 (inner office); office hours: TWR 1:00-2:00
Phone: 745-7029; E-mail: lawrence.alice@wku.edu
Homepage: http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/alice
Lecture MW 11:30 - 12:25, TCNW Room 203
Lab M 12:40 - 4:40, TCNW Room 222
TEXTBOOK: Walters, D. R., D.J. Keil, and Z.
E. Murrell. 2006. Vascular Plant Taxonomy, 5th ed. Jones, R. L. 2005. Plant Life
of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to the Vascular Flora (Optional).
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Learn basic techniques of plant collection and identification including
morphological terminology.
Be able to characterize and recognize ~40 major families of plants and their
economically important and common genera/species, and identify ~125 local
species in the field.
Acquire a basic understanding of relationships among flowering plants.
Gain exposure to a diversity of plant communities and species.
GRADING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES:
Lecture Exams: There will be three semester exams and one final exam.
All exams will be comprehensive.
Lab Quizzes: Quizzes
will be administered weekly throughout the semester; all of which will be
comprehensive. These will be based primarily on lab or field identification of
plant families, genera, and species, but also include morphological descriptive
terminology.
Lab Final Exam: This
will be a comprehensive exam (~100 plants) involving field identification of
plant families, genera, and species.
Field Trips:
1. Southern Illinois; All-day Saturday.
12 April, 2008
2. Missouri Botanical Garden/southern Illinois; 2 days/1 night. 19-20 April, 2008
If you are unable to participate in these
required field trips, an appropriate alternative must be completed to earn the
points.
Plant Collection:
Each student will be required to collect, press, and identify 10 flowering
plant species and submit a comprehensive morphological description in english
for one species. Species collected
must not be on the ’ÄúPlants to Know’Äù list.
Grading: Final
course grades will be based on the following components:
|
|
% of Total |
|
Lecture Exam 1 |
12.5 |
|
Lecture Exam 2 |
12.5 |
|
Lecture Exam 3 |
12.5 |
|
Lecture Final Exam |
15.0 |
|
Lab Quizzes/Assignments |
15.0 |
|
Lab Final |
15.0 |
|
Field Trips |
10.0 |
|
Plant Collection |
7.5 |
Please note that there
will NOT
be any opportunity for extra credit. Letter grades will be issued based on total
points earned:
A = >90%; B = 80-89.9%; C = 70-79.9%; D = 60-69.9%; <60% = F.
POLICIES:
Make-up exams will ONLY be permitted provided that a University-approved
absence has been demonstrated.
Come to labs with designated field trips prepared to go outside in any weather.
Do not be late for lab; field trips will leave on time.
LAST DAY TO DROP COURSE WITH A "W" IS 09
MARCH, 2007
Students
with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or
auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student
Disability Services, Office for Student Disability Services, located in the
Student Success Center in DUC. The OFSDS telephone number is (270) 745-5004
V/TDD. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or
instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student
Disability Services.
BIOL 348 - Plant Taxonomy Syllabus
Spring Semester 2008, Dr. Lawrence A. Alice
TENTATIVE
LECTURE SCHEDULE
|
Class |
Topic (chapters/pages to
read) |
|
JANUARY |
|
|
23 Wed |
Class overview;
Collecting |
|
28 Mon |
Herbaria &
Classification (pp. 59-66; Ch 6) |
|
28 lab |
Key Construction/
Herbarium (Ch 5 & 7) |
|
30 Wed |
History of Plant Taxonomy
|
|
FEBRUARY |
|
|
04 Mon |
Morphology Revisited: Roots,
Stems, & Leaves |
|
04 lab |
Morphology Revisited:
Roots, Stems, & Leaves |
|
06 Wed |
Botanical Nomenclature
(Ch 2) |
|
11 Mon |
Nomenclature continued |
|
11 lab |
Morphology Revisited:
Flowers & Fruits |
|
13 Wed |
Tracheophytes;
Angiosperms |
|
18 Mon |
Lecture Exam
1 |
|
18 lab |
Ferns & Conifers |
|
20 Wed |
"Non-monocot
Paleoherbs" |
|
25 Mon |
"Magnoliid
Complex" |
|
*25 lab |
Field Trip |
|
27 Wed |
Monocots |
|
MARCH |
|
|
03 Mon |
Monocots Cont'd |
|
03 lab |
Family Studies |
|
05 Wed |
Monocots Cont'd |
|
10-14 |
NO CLASS - SPRING
BREAK |
|
17 Mon |
"Basal Eudicots
(Tricolpates)" |
|
*17 lab |
Field Trip |
|
19 Wed |
Caryophyllids |
|
24 Mon |
Lecture Exam
2 (thru 17 Mar.) |
|
*24 lab |
Field Trip |
|
Basal & Core Rosids |
|
|
Eurosid I |
|
|
*31 lab |
Field Trip: Green River Ferry |
|
APRIL |
|
|
02 Wed |
Eurosid I |
|
07 Mon |
Eurosid I |
|
*07 lab |
Field Trip: Cedar Sink |
|
09 Wed |
Eurosid I |
|
14 Mon |
Lecture Exam
3 |
|
*14 lab |
No Lab |
|
16 Wed |
Eurosid II |
|
21 Mon |
Eurosid II & Basal
Asterids |
|
*21 lab |
Field Trip: 1st
Creek |
|
Euasterid I |
|
|
28 Mon |
Euasterid I & II |
|
*28 lab |
Lab Final Exam - Field
Trip |
|
30 Wed |
Euasterid II |
|
MAY |
|
|
08 Thu |
Lecture
Final Exam (10:30-12:30) |
TAXA TO BE STUDIED
"Non-monocot
Paleoherbs" (Amborellales, Nymphaeales, Austrobaileyales)
Families: Amborellaceae, Nymphaeaceae
"Magnoliid
Complex" (Canellales, Laurales, Magnoliales, Piperales)
Families: Magnoliaceae, Lauraceae
Monocots
Families: Araceae, Liliaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae,
Zingiberaceae, Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae
EUDICOTS
(TRICOLPATES)
"Basal Eudicots (Tricolpates)"
Families: Ranunculaceae, Papaveraceae
CORE EUDICOTS
(TRICOLPATES)
Caryophyllids
Families: Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Polygonaceae
Rosids
Basal Rosids: Saxifragaceae, Crassulaceae
Core Eurosids: Myrtaceae
Eurosid I
Families: Euphorbiaceae, Clusiaceae, Salicaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Rosaceae,
Moraceae
Eurosid II
Families: Brassicaceae, Malvaceae, Sapindaceae, Anacardiaceae
Asterids
Basal Asterids
Families: Ericaceae
Euasterid I
Families: Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, Apocynaceae, Lamiaceae
Euasterid II
Families: Apiaceae, Asteraceae