Botany Handbook for Florida
Master Gardener Training
Instructor: Ann McMullian
Indian River State College
Plant Names
Nomenclature
Plant nomenclature (use of
scientific names)
Common name vs. Scientific name
(botanical name)
Common names are more widely used
because they are easier to pronounce
and remember.
Common names only have value if
both persons know exactly which plant
is being discussed. This only happens
when people are from the same area
or community.
Hortus third list 27 plants named
“Jasmine”
To prevent confusion it is
recommended to use both the
scientific and common name.
Each plant has a scientific name.
Example: Magnolia grandiflora
The two-word (binomial) scientific
name is made up off:
Genus + specific epithet = Species
Magnolia grandiflora
↑
The specific epithet describes a
characteristic of the plant.
The scientific name is italicized or
underlined.
The Genus is capitalized. The specific
epithet is not capitalized.
Examples of species:
Citrus sinensis
Examples of species:
Magnolia grandiflora
Examples of species:
Tulbagia violacia
The Plant World
(Plant Classification)
Classification
• Plant Kingdom
– Lichens and mosses (no leaves, roots, etc)
– Ferns (no flower with seeds, spores instead)
– Seed producing plants
• Gymnospermae (Gymnosperm)
• Angiospermae (Angiosperm)
Plant Kingdom
• Non-vascular (Bryophytes)
• Vascular
– Spore bearing (Pteridophyta)
– Seed bearing (Spermatophyta or Spermopsida)
• Gymnosperm (Cone bearing, naked seed) Examples:
pines, podocarpus, ginkgo, cycads
• Angiosperm (Non-cone bearing, covered seed)
– Monocotyledon (grasses, grains, palms, lilies, onions)
– Dicotyledon
Gymnosperm
Slash Pine
Gymnosperm
King Sago
Gymnosperm
Juniper
Gymnosperm- Podocarpus
Gymnosperm
( Zamia family)
Angiosperm
• Flowering Plants
• Seed protected by Fruit
• Two main groups (divisions):
– Monocotyledoneae (Monocots)
– Dicotyledoneae (Dicots)
Monocots vs Dicots
ROOTS SYSTEMS
Root Functions:
•
•
•
•
anchor plant
support the stem
absorb and conduct water and minerals
store food
Two types of roots:
• - fibrous roots, highly branched, slender
• - tap roots, main enlarged root.
Water and Nutrient Uptake
Water and nutrient uptake is done by
millions of thin walled root hairs.
Nutrient uptake
Secondary roots 
Primary root
Nutrient and water up take: Root hairs –> secondary
root –> primary root –> stems and leaves.
Some different type or roots:
•
•
•
•
Adventitious roots
Fleshy roots
Aerial roots
Knees ( pneumatophores)
Adventitious Roots:
Roots that do no originate off the primary
root
Prop roots
Fleshy roots – food reserve
Beets
Turnip
Carrot
Aerial Roots
Banyan Tree
Aerial roots
Some aerial roots are fleshy and store water
Philodendron
Aerial roots on orchids
Knees or Pneumatophores
Mangrove
Bald Cypress
Knees or pneumatophores enable
plants to obtain air in swampy
conditions
Stems Functions and Modifications
Stems have nodes and buds
Stem Types
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crowns – short inconspicuous
Simple – without branches
Branched
Climbing
Creeping
Rhizomes
Stolons
Crowns
Short inconspicuous stem
Gerbera daisy
Dandelion
Simple Stem
Stem without branches
Food Storage in stems
Asparagus
Celery
Many herbaceous perennials have some
type of modified stems.
• Examples of modified stems:
– Rhizomes
– Stolons
– Tubers
– Corms
– Bulbs
Rhizomes – the main stem of a plant,
horizontal, underground.
Ginger
Tubers are
modified stems that
develop on under
ground stems
Corms are short, thickened, underground
stems.
Gladiola Corms
Bulbs are short, thickened, underground stem
with thick storage leaves making up the bulk.
Stolons or
runners
Leaf and Stem Arrangement
A stem has
nodes and
internodes.
Nodes are
where leaves
or buds are
attached.
Leaf arrangement:
• alternate
• opposite
• whorled
What leaf
arrangement is
pictured here?
Alternate
Leaf Anatomy
• Leaf is composed of:
– leaf blade
– petiole
– stipules (in some
cases)
Stipules
Stipules
Name the parts
1
Petiole
↓4
↑3
Stipules
 2 Vein
Blade
Leaf Veins
Veins are extensions of the vascular system.
• Venation types:
– parallel (mostly found in monocots)
– pinnate
– palmate
Leaf types:
• Simple
• compound
– palmate
– odd pinnate
– even pinnate
Simple Leaf
Compound Leaves
Pinnately Compound Leaves
Plant identification requires the
use of specialized term to describe
the leaf tip, base, margin, shape,
and surface.
Leaf Tips
Leaf Bases
Leaf Shapes
Leaf Surfaces
Modified/Specialized Leaves
Bracts are modified leaves that may function as part of the flower.
Modified/Specialized Leaves
Tendril
Spines
Parts of a typical flower:
• sepals that form the calyx
• petals that form the corolla
• stamens, male organ, with anther and
filament
• pistil, female organ, with stigma, style and
ovary
• receptacle
• peduncle (pedicels)
Pollination and Fertilization
• To produce seed pollination followed by
fertilization must take place.
• Self pollinating flowers are self-fertile
• Cross-pollinating flowers need pollen from
other plants.
● ● ●
●
↓
Pollination
Pollination in action.
Flowers with no pistil are male
flowers. (staminate flowers)
Flowers with no stamens are
female flowers. (pistilate flowers)
Terms based on flowering characteristics:
• Monoecious
• Dioecious
• Polygamous
Dioecious plants: plants with only
male or female flowers.
These plants need two plants for
fertilization.
Dioecious plants
Date Palm
Left: Female bearing fruit
Top: Male staminate flowers
producing pollen
Monoecious
plants: plants
with both male
and female
flowers on one
plant. Only one
plant needed for
fertilization.
Monoecious plant – Pine Tree
Monoecious Plant
Pine Tree
Polygamous –
plants that bear
staminate,
pistillate, and
bisexual flowers.
Example: Acer
rubrum
Inflorescences
Single (Solitaire) Inflorescence
Racemose Inflorencense
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Raceme
Panicle
Spike
Spathe & Spadix
Catkin
Corymb
Umbel
Head
See diagram
Umbel
Panicle
Spike
Cymose Inflorescence
• Cyme
• Fascicle
Cyme – apple blossom
Flower Forms and Parts
• What is a Complete Flower?
• What is a Perfect Flower?
• What is an Apetalous flower?
• What is an Asepalous flower?
Complete Flowers have 4 major parts.
↓Pistil
← Stamen
← Petals
← Sepals
Let’s Review: Name the 4 major parts.
↓ 1 Pistil
 2 Stamens
3
 4 Sepals
Petals
What is a Perfect Flower?
A flower with at least the male
(stamen) and female (pistil)
structures.
Perfect flower
 Stamen
 Pistil
Is this a perfect flower?
Is it complete?
Apetalous flower – no petals
Asepalous flower – without sepals
Flower forms
• Gamopetalous – united petals
– Funnel form
– Rotate
– Urn-shaped
– Salver-form
• Gamosepalous – united sepals
• Polypetalous – separate petals
• Polysepalous – separate sepals
Gamopetalous
Gamosepalous
United sepals
Fruit and Seeds
Fruit and Seeds
Helpful tool in identification of
plants.
Fruit is the mature ovary of a flower,
contains the seed/or seeds
Fruit types:
•
•
•
•
Fleshy
Dry Fruits
Dehiscent
Indehiscent
Examples for Fleshy fruits:
•
•
•
•
Drupe
Berry
Pome
Aggregate Fruit
Drupe
Peach
Coconut
Examples of Dry Fruits.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acheme
Samara
Nut
Capsule
Legume
Follicle
Leaves manufacture food for the plant.
Photosynthesis is the food manufacturing
process.
Photosynthesis:
Carbon dioxide + water + light energy  sucrose + Oxygen
CO2
+ H2O
+ light
 C H2O + O2
Carbon dioxide + water + light energy
6CO2
+ 6H2O
+ light
 sucrose
+ O2
 C6H12O6 + 6O2
Sucrose is the energy source used by most
plants.
Chloroplasts collect the light needed
for photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll.
(See next slide)
Respiration is the burning of food (sugar) to
release energy.
(opposite of photosynthesis)
Respiration:
sucrose + O2  Carbon dioxide + water + light energy
http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_freeman_biosci_1/0,6452,498648-,00.html
Transpiration – loss of water
though stomata in the leaf.
Stomata open and close by guard
cells.
See next slide.
Transpiration
Environmental factors that affect Plant
Growth
• Light
• Temperature
• Water.
The End