BIOL 334
Plant Taxonomy - Individualized Study
EASTERN
Course Syllabus
Number of Course: BIOL 334
Name of Course: Plant Taxonomy
Catalog Description: Principles of plant classification, collection and identification.
Prerequisites: BIOL 101 or BIOL 211 or BOT 201; BOT 202
Class Format: Independent study
Credit Hours: Five
Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this course should have the following
knowledge and skills:
· The ranks of botanical classification
· How to collect and prepare research quality herbarium specimens
· The diagnostic characteristics of 26 plant families that are well-represented
in
· How to use a field manual to identify the family, genus and species of native
plants
Brief Outline of Course Content: Click HERE
Required Texts:
Hitchcock, C. L. and A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest,
Walters, Dirk R. and David Keil. 1975. Vascular Plant Taxonomy, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 0-7872-2108-2.
Recommended Text:
Harris, J.G. and M..W. Harris. 1994. Plant Identification Terminology: an illustrated glossary; Spring Lake Publishing, Utah.
Field Trips:
Students must arrange their own field experiences. I recommend that students
contact their local chapter of the Oregon Native Plant Society, or similar
organizations in other states. Most western states have native plant societies.
Most chapters sponsor guided field trips to interesting botanical areas.
Collecting will not be allowed on most of these trips, but the botanist guides
can provide valuable information about plant identification. Information about
the Oregon Native Plant Society is included at the end of this packet.
Course Requirements and Means of Assessment:
Students must complete two exams, a field journal, and a plant collection. The
two exams consist of essay questions designed to test the students knowledge of
the basic vocabulary of plant identification, and of the characteristics of the
families of vascular plants common in
Exam I: Chapters 7-10, 40 pts.
Exam II: Chapters 11-6, 60 pts.
Field journal and plant Collection: 60 pts.
90-100% = A 80-89% = B 70-79% = C 60-69% = D below 60% = F
Plant Collection:
The plant collection should consist of 30 vascular plants representing at least
20 different families. The plants should be species that are found in the Flora
of the
Plant specimens should NOT be glued, taped, or mounted in any way. They
should be sent in newsprint with the labels inserted, but not attached.
Specimens should be packaged carefully and mailed to the instructor for
evaluation. Once at Eastern, they will be mounted on archival paper and will be
accessioned into the
It is very important that students collect their specimens ethically and
responsibly. Some guidelines follow:
• Specimens should not be collected from private property without
permission from the owner.
• Specimens should never be collected from state parks, campground,
national parks, or other preserve areas.
• Be cautious of other traffic when stopping along roadsides.
• Replace any overturned rocks and fill any holes at collection sites.
• Never collect a specimen unless there are at least 10 other individuals
of the same variety close-by.
For more information about collecting and pressing plants, click HERE.
Field Journal:
Students must keep a record of their field experiences for BIOL 334. Any plants
that are collected must be assigned a collection number at the time of
collection. All information relevant to the date of collection, location,
ecology and abundance of the plant should be recorded in the journal. The
relevant pages of the journal should be duplicated and sent to the instructor
instead of mailing the original journal.
Families to study for BIOL 334 - Individualized study
Sensitive plant species list for Wallowa Whitman National
Forest
Watch and reviw species list for Wallowa Whitman National
Forest
Syllabus prepared by:
Dr. Karen Antell
Eastern Oregon University
One University Blvd.
La
kantell@eou.edu
page last updated April 2008