1

Florida Native Landscaping

ORH 3815/5815CORH 3815/5815CLecture Lecture 11

How to Identify PlantsHow to Identify Plants

Lecture Outline

I.I. The Plant KingdomThe Plant KingdomII.II. Binomial NomenclatureBinomial NomenclatureIII.III. Floral formula techniqueFloral formula techniqueIV.IV. Flower terminologyFlower terminologyV.V. Leaf terminologyLeaf terminologyVI.VI. Fruit terminologyFruit terminology

2

A Typical System

Division Spermatophyta- seed plants

Subdivision AngiospermaeGymnospermae

Class DicotyledonMonocotyledon

Order A group of related families

F il A f l t dFamily A group of related genera

Genus A group of related species

Species Plants of one kind

Angiosperm Gymnosperm

Elaborate Flowers

Yes, true stigma

No

Nutritional Endosperm Gametophyte tissue (3n)=double

fertilization (1n)

Enclosed seed

Yes-contained in carpel

No-“naked”

Leaves Simple, Awl-like,Leaves Simple, compound

Awl like, scale-like, needle-like

Plants Monocots, Dicots

Cycads, Conifers, Ginko

3

DICOT MONOCOT

Flower parts 4’s or 5’s (usually)

3’s (usually)

Pollen 3 furrows One furrow

Cotyledons Two OneCotyledons Two One

Leaf Venation

Netlike (usually)

Parallel (usually)

Primary vascular bundles

In a ring Complex arrangement

bundlesSecondary growth with vascular bundles

Commonly present

Absent

Monocots and Dicots

4

Angiosperm or Gymnosperm?

Linnaeus system

Binomial nomenclature- means of which all plants and all animals are known by all people in all countries who speak or write of them with precision; system began in 1753.

5

Variety- A subdivision of a species, differing in certain genetically fixed characteristics from the rest of the

l tipopulationUlmus americana var. floridanaUlmus americana floridanaGenus specific epithet variety

S iSpecies

(Haehle)

Cultivar- A cultivated variety

Genus specific epithet cultivar

S i

Stokesia leavis ‘ Color wheel’

Species

PDSI

6

Hybrids

Interspecific hybrid- hybridization between two related speciesrelated speciesExample:Ilex cassine (Dahoon Holly) x Ilex opaca (Am. Holly)

Ilex x attenuata

Botanical Code

Today the use of botanical Today the use of botanical namesnamesis governed and regulated by theis governed and regulated by theis governed and regulated by the is governed and regulated by the International Code for Botanical International Code for Botanical Nomenclature Nomenclature http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm.http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm.

The principles and rules of the Botanical The principles and rules of the Botanical C d if l li bl tC d if l li bl tCode are uniformly applicable to Code are uniformly applicable to cultivated as well as wild plants.cultivated as well as wild plants.

The code promotes uniformity, fixity, The code promotes uniformity, fixity, and accuracy in naming plants.and accuracy in naming plants.

7

Latinized Words• Scientific names- often descriptive

• Specific epithet-designated by morphological characteristics, such as:– shape, number, and color; – sensual features such as taste, smell,

or touch;or touch;– geography and ecological conditions;– or the name of the person to be

honored.

Floral Formula Technique

• A visual device used to summarize the relationship of flower partsp

• It is based on symbols identifying the sepals (calyx), the petals (corolla), the stamens, and the pistil

• The use of small superscript numbers adds more information into the formula.

*For example:For example:Ca5Co5S5P1 =5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 1 pistil (a complete flower)

8

Asteraceaedisk

ray

Baumgardt, 1982

Terms Relative to the Flower• The flower is the structure most

commonly used in classifying fand identifying plants

– Perfect- has both stamens and pistils

– Imperfect-lacks either stamens or pistils

– Complete-stamen, pistil, sepals, petals

– Incomplete-lacks stamen, pistil, sepals or petals

9

Parts of a Flower

Still, 1994

Longitudinal Section of a Complete Flower

Still, 1994

10

Sexuality of Angiosperm Flowers

MonoeciousMonoecious--one plant bears one plant bears both staminate and both staminate and pistillatepistillateflowers separately (unisexual)flowers separately (unisexual)

DioeciousDioecious-- two flower types two flower types (staminate and (staminate and pistillatepistillate) are ) are born on separate plants born on separate plants (unisexual)(unisexual)

PerfectPerfect--having both stamens having both stamens and and pistils pistils (bisexual)(bisexual)

Brickell and Cathey, , 2004

Inflorescence TypesStill, 1994

Corymb

Head

Cyme

Panicle

Spike

SolitaryRaceme UmbelDehgan, 1998

11

Terms Relative to the Leaves

• Deciduous vs. Evergreeng• Opposite, alternate, whorled• Simple vs compound• Shape

– overall, base, apex• Margins• Venation-parallel, netted, pinnate,

palmate

Leaf Types

Still, 1994

12

Leaf Arrangement

Brickell and Cathey, , 2004

Leaf Shapes

Still, 1994

13

Leaf Margins

Still, 1994

Leaf Apices

Still, 1994

14

Leaf Bases

Still, 1994

Leaf Surface

•• ViscidViscid--stickysticky•• GlaucousGlaucous-- waxywaxy•• GlabrousGlabrous-- no no hairs or waxhairs or wax•• PubescentPubescent-- covered covered with with

hairshairs•• ScabrousScabrous--roughroughScabrousScabrous roughrough

15

Stem and Bud Morphology

Dirr, 1998

Types of FruitBrickell and Cathey, , 2004

16

Useful References• How to Identify Flowering Plant

Families (Baumgardt, 1982)• Botany in a Day (Elpel, 2004)• Plant Identification (Harris and Harris,

2001)• Botany for Gardeners (Capon, 1998)