BIOL/ESRM 331/SEFS 590B

Landscape Plant RecognitionSarah Reichard

Michael Bradshaw

Colleen Brennan

Emma Relei

Today

• Introduction to biological classification of

vascular plants

• Introduction to plant morphology

• Introduction to nomenclature (what is in a

name?)

• How does this class work?

Vascular Plants

• “Xylem” (water carrying stem tissues) and

“Phloem” (nutrient and carbohydrate

carrying stem tissues) plants are “vascular

plants”

• Ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms

are vascular plants

• Mosses and algae are not

Gymnosperms (Conifers)

“Naked Seeds”

• Seeds borne on open surfaces (cones)

Gymnosperms (Conifers)

“Naked Seeds”

• Seeds borne on open surfaces (cones)

• Male and female structures are separate

(male/female cones)

Gymnosperms (Conifers)

“Naked Seeds”

• Seeds borne on open surfaces (cones)

• Male and female structures are separate

(male/female cones)

• Mostly wind pollinated

Gymnosperms

“Naked Seeds”

• Seeds borne on open surfaces (cones)

• Male and female structures are separate

(male/female cones)

• Mostly wind pollinated

• Mostly are “evergreen”

Angiosperms

“Enclosed Seeds”

• Seeds are borne in fruits (matured flower

ovaries)

Angiosperms

“Enclosed Seeds”

• Seeds are borne in fruits (matured flower

ovaries)

• Male and female structures are usually

together in flowers

• Insect, bird, bat, wind pollinated

• Deciduous and evergreen leaves

• “Monocots” and “Dicots”

Monocotyledons (“Monocots”)

• One seed leaf (cotyledon)

Monocotyledons (“Monocots”)

• One seed leaf (cotyledon)

• Leaf veins parallel

Dicotyledons (“Dicots”)

• 2 seed leaves

Dicotyledons (“Dicots”)

• 2 seed leaves

• Leaves net veined

• May not be

monophyletic

• Woody dicots are

the majority of

what we will learn

Plant Morphology

The form and structure of plants

Overall – size, shape of plants

Leaves – size, shape, veins, margins, apex, etc.

Bark – color, texture

Flowers - # parts, color, placement

Fruit – type

Overall

Simple Leaves

Compound Leaves

“Even”/”Odd” Pinnate

Palmately Compound Leaves

Compound leaves

Ternately Compound

Lobes vs. Leaves

Pinnately lobedPalmately lobed

Conifer Leaves

Awl-shaped leaves

Scale-like leaves

Conifer Leaves

Needle-like leaves Linear leaves

Stomatal Markings on Conifers

Special Leaves

Stipule

Stipule

Leaf Patterns

• Variegation – differently colored parts of

the leaves. Examples:

Leaf Arrangement

Whorled Leaves

Opposite and

decussate

Sessile

• No petiole attaches a

leaf or other plant part

to a stem

Leaf Shape

Ovate

Leaf Base

Acute

Leaf Margins

Revolute

margin

Leaf Apex

Pubescent (hairs)

Glabrous

• Leaves or other

surfaces without hairs

Other terms• Node – the point of attachment for a leaf

• Terminal/axillary – arrangement of flowers

on stem

Below Ground

• Rhizome/rhizomatous – a horizontal stem,

usually underground, that bears stems and

leaves

Flowers

Note: these are all “perfect” or “bisexual” flowers

Dioecious/Monoecious

• Unisexual flowers

• DI = two, OECIOUS = house (the plant)

• MON = one

Petals

ApetalousSympetalous

Fused petals

Free Corolla

Unfused petals

Inflorescence Types

catkin

Solitary Flowers

Compound

inflorescence

Fruit types

Fleshy

Berry – a fleshy fruit

that develops from the

ovary of a single

flower. The skin of the

berry is the ovary wall.

Fruit types

Fleshy

Berry

Pome – a fruit that consists of

a fleshy receptical and a tough

central core containing the

seeds

Fruit Types

Fleshy

Drupes

Aggregate of Drupelets

Fruit Types

Dry and Dehiscent

Legume – a pod that

splits into 2 valves with

the seeds attached to 1

Follicle – 2 or more seeds,

splits along one side

Capsule –

splits open

to release

seeds

Fruit Types

Dry and indehiscent

Achene

Plant Classification and Names

• Originally – long strings

of descriptive words

• Little sense of relationships

• May 1, 1753 – “Species

Plantarum” published

• Established binomial

system of namingCarolus Linneaus

(Carl von Linne)

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Solanales

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Genus: Solanum

Levels of Plant Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae

Division/Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Genus: Solanum

Species: tuberosum

Species

So… Solanum tuberosum L.

What are they?

• Family:

-A broad group of plants with common

characteristics, one or more genera

-Ends in “aceae” – pronounced as if

spelling the word “ace”

-Seven “conserved families” use ae ending

as an alternative (Asteraceae vs.

Compositae)

What Are They?

• Genus:

– Defined as a more or less closely related and definable group of organisms (plants) comprising one or more species

– Plural is “genera”

– The species have more characteristics in common with each other than they do with species of other genera in the same family

– A genus may contain a single species (e.g., Ginkgo) or more than 100 (e.g., Rosa)

What Are They?• Species

• A concept. Sometimes defined as a group of

individual organisms (plants) that are

fundamentally alike

• A species should be separated by distinct

morphological differences from other closely

related species

• All the individuals in a given species are not

identical. Think of it as a population in which

any character might be expressed to different

degrees in each individual.

Levels of Plant Classification

There may also be:

– Subspecies: subsp. or ssp. glauca

– Variety: var. glauca

– Forma: f. glauca

Principles of Nomenclature

• "Infraspecific names" are formed by

adding Latin(ized) words to the species

names

• Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca (or

ssp. glauca)

• Quercus garryana var. breweri

Principles of Nomenclature

• Cultivated varieties = cultivar

• They are genotypes selected for desirable

traits

• Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Glauca‘ (best)

• Or C. lawsoniana cv Glauca

• After 1959, cv names could no longer be

“Latinized” – must use “fancy” names, e.g.,

Genista pilosa ‘Vancouver Gold’

Hybrids

• A cross between two species, genera, or

infraspecific categories – may occur in the

wild or intentionally

Hybrids may be written as :

• Populus tremuloides XP. alba

• Platanus Xacerifolia

• XFatshedera lizei

Common Names

• Often descriptive, but potentially very

misleading

- 25 taxa with “cedar”

- regional differences “mile a minute” plant

• Learning scientific names is fun, not all

that hard, and allows specific

communication

What does it mean?

• Philadelphus lewisii – named after

Merriwether Lewis

What does it mean?

• Philadelphus lewisii – named after

Merriwether Lewis

• Picea sitchensis – first described from a

specimen from Sitka, Alaska

What does it mean?

• Philadelphus lewisii – named after

Merriwether Lewis

• Picea sitchensis – first described from a

specimen from Sitka, Alaska

• Pinus albicaulis – albi = white, caul = stem

• Acer macrophyllum – macro = big, phyllum

= leaf

• CLAS 205 – Bioscientific Vocabulary

Principles of Nomenclature

• Scientific names are Latin or Latinized

• Scientific names are binomial - - genus

and species

• After the first reference to a genus, it can

be abbreviated to a letter: P. menziesii

Principles of Nomenclature

• Genus and species should be underlined

or italicized

• Family and Genus are capitalized,

species is not

• "Author names" may be included:

Solanum tuberosum L.

Summary

• Plant diversity is separated on the basis

of:

- evolutionary relationships

- morphology

• The naming of plants follows certain rules,

based on the work of Linnaeus

Class Mechanics

• 2 days inside in Gould 322, 2 tests & 1 Big

Review inside at CUH, the rest outside

• We meet every class time, rain or shine –

dress accordingly!

• Use the web page! Plant lists and info will

be posted before each class

• Additional books may be helpful

Class Mechanics

Tests

• 1 “written” midterm – next Tuesday!!!!

• 2 plant identification midterms (each 10%)

• Make-up midterms very difficult

• Quizzes every two weeks (total 10%)

• Lowest one dropped

• Final, on campus (60%)

• Spelling counts!

Class Mechanics

Tips for learning

• Flashcards/powerpoint shows

• Learn what the scientific names mean

• Use the Washington Park Arboretum to

review with friends, new “app” on website

• Use the class web page and the links

• Hyde Herbarium

Class Mechanics

Hyde Herbarium – visit!

• Do not take plant parts to

make your own “herbarium!”

• Special collection

available to you

• Class website has link

Assignment

• On campus, in a park, in your own

backyard – go outside and look at plants

• Try to identify the parts of the leaf and see

what term best fits the shape, leaf

arrangement, margin, etc.

• Come on Thursday prepared for your first

field day