Biology 304/504: PLANT TAXONOMY
Fall 2006
Meets Mon & Wed 8:00 – 10:00 AM in the Herbarium (9 Halsey Science)
Instructor: Dr. Thomas G. Lammers
Office:
E-mail:
Phone:
9C Halsey
lammers@uwosh.edu
424-1002
Office hours:
Mon 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Tue 12:00 – 2:00 PM
Thu 12:00 – 2:00 PM
Textbooks:
Woodland, D. W., Contemporary Plant Systematics, 3rd ed. (Andrews University Press, 2000).
Lammers, T. G. Course Manual: Biol 304 Plant Taxonomy, 2nd ed. (UWO Doc Services, 2004).
Objectives:
With this course, I want to introduce you to the dynamic and highly synthetic discipline of plant
taxonomy and help you to appreciate its role in the biological sciences.
Course content will fall into three major areas:
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Theory and principles underlying systematic biology.
Methodology of classification and nomenclature.
Recognition of major families of flowering plants (angiosperms).
Because of constraints of the season, the first weeks of the course will emphasize learning major
plant families. As the semester progresses, more time will be devoted to the philosophical and
methodological aspects of classification and nomenclature.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will ...
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be familiar with the basic terminology used to describe plants;
be able to recognize 36 major plant families;
be familiar with the procedures by which plants are classified;
be familiar with the basics principles and rules of plant nomenclature; and
appreciate the role of taxonomy in the biological sciences.
Attendance Policy: I expect you to attend every class, as it will be very difficult for you to earn a good
grade if you do not. You should only miss class if the consequences of attending will be even more
unpleasant that the consequences of missing. If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to get notes from
a fellow student. Do not miss an exam for any but the most extreme emergencies (e.g., grievous illness or
injury, death of a loved one). If such an emergency should arise, you will notify me (preferably by e-mail)
before class or immediately thereafter to make alternative arrangements. If you do not do so, you will receive
zero points for the exam.
Evaluation:
Over the course of the semester, you will have the opportunity to earn 500 points:
Plant Structures Quiz
Nomenclature Exercise
Family Exam
General Exam
30 pts.
35 pts.
80 pts.
75 pts.
Writing Exercise I
Writing Exercise II
Family Research Paper
Classification Exercise
60 pts.
60 pts.
80 pts.
80 pts.
What is the rationale behind the various assignments and tests?

The Plant Structures Quiz will ensure that you have mastered the terminology you need to understand
family descriptions and the methodology of classification.
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The two Writing Exercises will give you the opportunity to practice your reasoning and compositional skills,
by writing commentaries on essays dealing with the significance of systematics.
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The Nomenclature Exercise will test your understanding of the rules of nomenclature, your ability to think
critically, and your problem solving skills, by giving you lists of synonyms and asking you to select the
correct name under given circumstances.
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The Family Exam will test your ability to recognize major plant families on sight, whether as live material,
herbarium specimens, or color images.
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The Family Research Paper will allow you to explore and learn about a family of plants not covered in
lecture and lab, by producing a summary of it from pertinent literature.
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The Classification Exercise will test your understanding of the kinds of data used in plant systematics, your
ability to think critically, and your problem solving skills, by giving you a set of data for a group of plants
and asking you to classify those plants. There is no one “correct” answer; your grade for the exercise will
be based upon (1) your knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the various types of data, and (2)
your ability to logically support the classification you have created.
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The General Exam will test your comprehension of all other topics not otherwise tested.
____________________________________________________________________________
Your final letter grade in the course will be based on the total number of points that you earn, according to the
following scale:
0-297 F
388-402 BC
298-337 D
403-437 B
338-352 CD
438-452 AB
353-387
453-500
C
A
This grade scale is absolutely rigid. Do not expect to be bumped up a grade if you are “close” as a cushion is
already built into these grade spans, e.g., 298 points is only 59.6% not 60%.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities are welcome in this course. Please contact me in the first week of class so
that all possible accommodations may be made.
Schedule of Class Meetings and Assignments
Date
6 Sep
11 Sep
13 Sep
18 Sep
20 Sep
25 Sep
27 Sep
2 Oct
4 Oct
9 Oct
11 Oct
16 Oct
18 Oct
23 Oct
25 Oct
30 Oct
1 Nov
6 Nov
8 Nov
13 Nov
15 Nov
20 Nov
27 Nov
29 Nov
4 Dec
6 Dec
11 Dec
13 Dec
Topic
Introduction to plant taxonomy
Collecting & preserving specimens
Botanical literature
Plant structures: Vegetative
Plant structures: Reproductive
Plant identification: How to key
Plant Structures Quiz
Dicot families: Magnoliidae: Magnoliaceae, Piperaceae,
Nymphaeaceae, Ranunculaceae
Dicot families: Hamamelidae: Ulmaceae, Cannabaceae,
Juglandaceae, Fagaceae
Dicot families: Caryophyllidae: Cactaceae,
Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Polygonaceae
Dicot families: Dilleniidae: Malvaceae, Cucurbitaceae,
Salicaceae, Brassicaceae
Dicot families: Rosidae I: Rosaceae, Fabaceae
Dicot families: Rosidae II: Onagraceae, Euphorbiaceae,
Apiaceae
Dicot families: Asteridae I: Solanaceae, Lamiaceae,
Scrophulariaceae, Campanulaceae
Dicot families: Asteridae II: Asteraceae
Monocot families: Subclass Liliidae: Liliaceae, Iridaceae,
Orchidaceae
Monocot families: Alismatidae: Alismataceae,
Potamogetonaceae
Monocot families: Arecidae: Arecaceae, Araceae
Monocot families: Commelinidae: Juncaceae,
Cyperaceae, Poaceae
Family Exam
Botanical nomenclature I
Botanical nomenclature II
Taxonomic data: morphology and anatomy
Taxonomic data: embryology and palynology
Taxonomic data: cytology and genetics
Taxonomic data: chemistry and molecular biology
Taxonomic data: biogeography and ecology
History of classification: Prehistory - 1730
History of classification: 1730 - 1975
Current approaches to classification
The contemporary plant systematics community
The role of field research
General Exam
Reading
Ch. 1
Ch. 4
Ch. 11
Ch. 7, pp. 80-96
Ch. 7, pp. 96-107
Ch. 3
Review Ch. 7
Ch. 8, pp. 109-110, 112, 119,
123, 125
Ch. 8, p.130, 134-135, 139,
141
Ch. 8, p. 144, 148-149,
153-154
Ch. 8, pp. 156-157, 170, 184,
187, 189
Ch. 8, pp. 206-207, 216,
219-221
Ch. 8, pp. 230, 250, 275
Ch. 8, p. 276, 281, 289, 294,
302
Ch. 8, pp. 310-311
Ch. 9, p. 349, 352-353, 360
Assignment Due
Writing Exercise I
Family Research Paper
Ch. 9, pp. 312-313, 315, 318
Ch. 9, p. 324-325, 328
Ch. 9, p. 330, 335-338
Review Ch. 8-9
Ch. 2
Ch. 2
Ch. 13, pp. 410-417
Ch. 13, pp. 424-428
Ch. 13, pp. 432-436
Ch. 13, pp. 417-424
Ch. 13, pp. 428-432;
Ch. 12, pp. 407-409
Ch. 10, pp. 361-363
Ch. 10, pp. 363-382
Ch. 10, pp. 378-387
Ch. 4, pp. 17-28; Ch. 15
Epilogue
Review Ch. 1-4, 10, 12-13, 15
Nomenclature Exercise
Writing Exercise II
Classification Exercise