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Plant Taxonomy (BIOL308) - Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/ |
TENTATIVE SYLLABUS - Fall '08
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Cycle |
Date |
Lecture Topic & Key Question(s) |
Course Materials (including chapter/pages in Simpson) |
|
I |
Aug 27 (W) |
Introduction Course; Systematics, taxonomy & cladistics (What is a plant? What is systematics and why study it? ) |
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| LAB | Plant Collecting - (How do you collect a plant?; Plant Collecting Techniques) |
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29 (F) |
Unit 1. Basic Principles Vegetative terminology (How do taxonomists describe the features of roots, leaves and stems? ) |
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Sep 2 (T) |
More veggie terms | ||
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II |
4 (Th) |
Dichotomous & polyclave keys (How are plants identified?) |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Common deciduous trees & shrubs of campus; PostLab Exercises |
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8 (M) |
Nomenclature (How are plants named?) |
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10 (W) |
The herbarium (What is a herbarium and why is it important?) |
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III |
12 (F) |
Flowers (How do taxonomists describe the features of flowers?) |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Woodland herbaceous plants |
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| S/S | Optional: DNR Grassland Monitoring Field Weekend | ||
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16 (T) |
Floral modifications & inflorescences (How do taxonomists describe various modifications from the 'basic' floral pattern and the features of inflorescences? ) |
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18 (Th) |
Fruits & seeds (How do we describe the features of fruits and seeds?) |
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IV |
22 (M) |
Embryology & palynology (How do taxonomists describe the basic features of angiosperm embryology and pollen?) |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Plants of the prairie |
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| 24 (W) | Heritage Day - no classes | ||
| Optional Field Trip: Quarry Park (Waite Park, MN) | |||
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25 (Th) |
How to identify plants (How do we identify the plants in our collections?) |
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| 29 (M) | Using Gleason & Cronquist (How do we use this resource to identify a plant?) | ||
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V |
Oct 1 (W) |
EXAM #1 (Intro - plant ID) |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Common plants of wet areas |
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|
| 2-5 | Free Days | ||
| 7 (T) |
Unit 2. Systematics & Diversity
(What are the characteristics of common plant
families? How are flowering plants classified?) Overview of Flowering Plant Classification; Ancestral Families (Nymphaeaceae, Amborellaceae) |
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| 9 (Th) | Magnoliids (Magnoliaceae) & Ceratophyllales (Ceratophyllaceae) |
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VI |
13 (M) |
Monocot Families: "Liliaceae," Orchidaceae |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Common Weeds |
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15 (W) |
More monocot families: Iridaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Araceae |
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| 17 (F) | Pollination video |
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VII |
21 (T) |
Grasses, sedges, rushes & cattails |
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| LAB | Field Trip - Conifers |
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23 (Th) |
Basal Eudicots (Ranunculaceae, Papaveraceae incl. Fumariodeae, Berberidaceae) |
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27 (M) |
Core Eudicots (Rosids) - Fabaceae (incl. 3 subfamilies), Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Onagraceae |
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VIII |
29 (W) |
EXAM #2 (Flowering plants – Onagraceae) |
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| LAB | Plant Family Identification (basal eudicots & monocots) |
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31 (F) |
Holiday Botany: Happy Halloween; Halloween botany (Cucurbitaceae, ergot, witches broom); Botanical costume contest - prizes for coming to class with a "plant theme" costume. |
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Nov 4 (T) |
Core Eudicots (Rosids): Malvaceae, Brassicaceae, Salicaceae; Asterids -Asteraceae |
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IX |
6 (Th) |
Core Eudicots (Asterids): Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Caprifoliaceae |
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| LAB | Plant Family Identification (core eudicots) |
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10 (M) |
Core Eudicots (Asterids): Boraginaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Lamiaceae, Scrophulariaceae (sl); Verbenaceae |
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12 (W) |
Core Eudicots (Asterids): Solanaceae, Apocynaceae (Asclepiadaceae), Apiaceae, Rubiaceae, Convolvulaceae |
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X |
14 (F) |
Core Eudicots (Caryophyllids): Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Polygonaceae, Cactaceae, Nyctaginaceae |
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| LAB | Plant Family Identification (core eudicots) |
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| 18 (T) |
Unit 3.
Classification. Traditional Classification; Linnaeus |
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20 (Th) |
EXAM #3 (Halloween & core eudicots) |
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XI |
24 (M) | Holiday Botany: The taxonomy of Thanksgiving & Natural & Mechanical Classifications |
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| LAB | Plant Family Identification (grasses, sedges, rushes) |
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| 26 - 30 | Thanksgiving Holiday | Due (before leaving campus): Plant Collection & Notebook | |
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Dec 1 (M) |
Evolutionary Classification |
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3 (W) |
Cladistics |
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XII |
5 (F) |
More cladistics; PAUP |
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| LAB | Winter Tree Identification | . | |
| 6 (Sat) | Optional Field Trip: Riverbluff Christmas Tree Farm & Brunch (11:00 a.m.) | . | |
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9 (T) |
Gymnosperms |
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11 (Th) |
Holiday Botany: The Taxonomy of Christmas (e.g., Mistletoe, poinsettia, mushrooms); Course Evaluations |
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15 (M) |
Study Day | . | |
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17 (W) |
EXAM #4 (6:00 - 8:00 pm) - Classification & Comprehensive component |
Additional Topics (to be covered in lecture if time permits. Other suggestions welcome):
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Last updated:
10/23/2008 / � Copyright by SG
Saupe