BioPl/Hort 243--Taxonomy of Cultivated Plants Lecture Syllabus, Grading, and Assignments

 
 
 

LECTURE DATE TOPIC READING IN W&K
Aug. 31 Introduction; vegetative terminology Chapter 3
Sept. 2 Flowers and Fruits Chapter 10
Sept. 7 Naming plants:  classification of the hierarchy of nature Chapter 2
Sept. 9 Phylogenetics: creating natural classifications Chapter 23
Sept. 14 Magnoliidae Chapter 11
Sept. 16 Data sources in systematics  
Sept. 21 Rosidae I Chapter 12
Sept. 23 Hybridization and Polyploidy/Apples and Blackberries  
Sept. 28 Rosidae II Chapter 13
Sept. 30 Asteridae I Chapters 14, 15
Oct. 5 Exam I (75 points)  
Oct. 7 Dilleniidae Chapter 16
Oct. 12 Fall Break--no class  
Oct. 14 Cauliflower, Broccoli, and /Brussels Sprouts:  What is a species?  
Oct. 16 Project due  
Oct. 19 Caryophyllidae Chapter 17
Oct. 21 Plant Chemistry--the Betelain story  
Oct. 26 Hamamelidae Chapter 18
Oct. 28 Guest speaker:  Eve Emschwiller--The origins of the Andean root crop Oca.  
Nov. 2 Monocots I Chapter 19
Nov. 4 Reproductive biology:  oaks to orchids  
Nov. 9 Monocots II--the Grasses Chapter 20
Nov. 11 Exam II (75 points)  
Nov. 16 Ferns and Gymnosperms Chapters 8, 9
Nov. 18 Taxus:  the search for plant medicines  
Nov. 23 Molecular systematics:  new insights into the evolution of plants  
Nov. 25 Morphology and development:  Teosinte and the origin of cultivated corn  
Nov. 30 The geographic distribution of plants:  what grows where and why  
Dec. 2 Systematics and the biodiversity crisis  

 

Final Exam:  (150 points)  comprehensive with an emphasis on the last 1/3 of the course  

 

Homeworks:
          Nomenclature:  correct name for a plant/both nomenclature exercises and web/book material
          Cladistics:  how to do a cladistic analysis
GRADING:  Ideally based on a strict percentage.  Tests may be curved if overall scores are below average.
          Lecture Exams:            300 points total
                    Hourly Exams:   150 points (75 points each)
                    Final Exam:       150 points
          Projects:                       25 points
          Homeworks:                 25 points
          Laboratory:                 160 points (see Laboratory Syllabus for a breakdown of the lab points)
          TOTAL POSSIBLE   510 points
   
Project:  (25 points)  DUE OCT. 16TH!!!

A plant collection project is required.  You must collect, press, and identify (to species) any 5 species of cultivated plants.  The plant collection should follow a theme of special interest.  Examples of possible topics are:
          Cooking herbs
          Street trees
          Ornamental grasses
          Rock garden plants
          Succulents
          House plants
          Agroforestry trees
          Edible grasses
          Common weeds
You are encouraged to choose your topic according to your own interests.  The plants must be different species; different cultivars of the same species are not acceptable.  A 2-5 page paper must accompany the collection.  This should include the following information for each plant:
          1.  Identification, including the family, genus, species, and cultivar (if applicable).
          2.  Geographic area of origin
          3.  History in cultivation (if known)
          4.  Cultivation requirements
          5.  Uses
          6.  Any other pertinent information

The actual format of the project will vary somewhat, depending on your choice of topic, and you are encouraged to develop the "any other pertinent information" part.  All sources for the literature should be cited in the body of the text, and a literature cited section should be the last section for your paper.  The format for citing papers and books should follow that of the American Journal of Botany; two examples follow.

Book:
Zirkle, C.  1935.  The beginnings of plant hybridization.  University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA.

Journal article:
Werth, C.R., S.I. Guttman, and W.H. Eshbaugh.  1985.  Electrophoretic evidence of reticulate evolution in the Appalachian Asplenium complex.  Systematic Botany 10: 188-192.

The references should be arranged in alphabetical order by the author's last name, and by year if more than one paper by the same author(s) is cited.

Projects will be evaluated heavily on the basis of correct identification, quality, and completeness (vegetative, flowers, fruits) of the specimens in addition to the written portion.  Proposed projects should be discussed with your TA or myself during the first laboratory meeting.  We encourage you to start your collections at once--the average date of first frost in Tompkins County is October 10th, but hard freezes have occurred in the last week in August!!
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

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