Study Guide for Plant Taxonomy Quiz Wednesday October 16, 2013

Overview of Green Plant Phylogeny

What is Chara and of what importance is it? What are some of the synapomorphies that were really early innovations that were necessary to lead a life on land (for example: multicellular sporophyte, embryo, gametangia, sporangium, cuticle), what synapomorphies allowed Lycophytes to become dominant land plants 420 MYBP and grow tall and sturdy (for example: vascular tissue, xylem with tracheids, lignin), what are some synapomorphies that we see in ferns and not lycophytes (for example: the chloroplast inversion, and pseudomonopodial growth= development of main axis and side branches), what synapomorphies were necessary for the gymnosperms to develop (secondary xylem=wood, heterospory, the seed), how are seeds better adapted to life on land than spores as a dispersal mechanism, what is heterospory compared to homospory, what synapomorphies lead to angiosperms (for example: carpel, endosperm, reduced gametophyte), draw and label a simple angiosperm phylogeny including Amborella, Nymphaeales , Austrobaileyales, monocots, eudicots and magnoliids, what is the significance of Amborella, what are the qualities of the basal angiosperms (for example: carpel margins sealed by secretions, distinct flower parts, poorly differentiated carpels, stamens, petals and sepals), how are monocots and eudicots different (for example: tricolpate vs. monocolpate pollen, one cotyledon vs. two cotyledons), why do we not recognize “dicots” as a clade,

Lycophytes & Ferns

Lycophytes exhibit dichotomous growth without true (pseudomonopodial) branching, lycophytes have scale like leaves that left scars and microphylls with micro- and megasporangia, Sporophyte dominant life cycle, alternation of generations– note that the gametophyte generation is already much reduced from the mosses, Heterosporous-> producing two types of spores (large (megaspores) and small microspores), xylem with tracheids, and tracheids are strongly lignified (vascular system), the remains of lycophytes account for our major coal deposits, some became large trees

Leptosporangiate ferns are the more common ones we know and are characterized by mature sporangium wall only one cell thick, understand the terms sori and indusium and how they relate to ferns, what are some of the local adaptations in the Gila for ferns to survive arid conditions (scales, hairs, ability to withstand extreme dessication) Ferns have true branching (pseudomonopodial growth). Gymnosperms

Seed plants, but NO ovary and therefore NO fruit. Living Gymnosperm lineages: conifers, gnetales, cycads, gingkos. Probably not a monophyletic group, certainly not if one includes extinct lineages. advantages of needles vs. leaves, evergreen vs. deciduous habit, difference in food storage material in gymnosperm seeds compared to angiosperms (e.g., ploidy level and how formed), what were the gnetophytes and how are they similar in some ways to conifers and in some ways to gymnosperms, describe the reproductive strategy of conifers; why is it incorrect to talk about juniper berries?

Angiosperms: ANITA (ANA) Grade : Basal Angiosperms

What is the ANITA Grade and what do the letters stand for? How do the plants of the ANITA grade differ from the Core Angiosperms? How are the carpels fused? What are columellate pollen, ethereal oils and why are they important? Be VERY clear on angiosperm synapomorphies and be able to list several, Discuss the level of differentiation of flower parts in general in the ANITA grade.

Magnoliid Clade

What characters resolve magnoliids into a separate clade (for example: molecular synapomorphies and secondary chemistry), monophyletic group including the Magnoliales, Laurales, Canellales & Piperales, perianth parts spiral or whorls of 3, sources of spices, stamens frequently poorly differentiated, be able to describe the foliage & calyx & corolla & androecium & gynoecium & fruit of the Magnoliaceae, Myristicaceae, Lauraceae, Piperaceae, Aristolochiaceae, and Saururaceae (see separate study guide)

Plant Taxonomy Plant ID list:

WEEK 1

Solanum (terms to know: connate vs. adnate) SOLANACEAE

Euphorbia (term to know: cyathium) EUPHORBIACEAE

Tribulus (terms to know: schizocarp, mericarp) ZYGOPHYLLACEAE

WEEK 2

Castilleja (term to know: hemiparasite) OROBANCHACEAE

Commelina (term to know: spathe) COMMELINACEAE

Desmodium (terms to know: papilionaceous, loment) FABACEAE

Penstemon (term to know: bilateral symmetry = zygomorphic) PLANTAGINACEAE Ipomopsis (terms to know: exserted, included) POLEMONIACEAE

WEEK 3

Amaranthus AMARANTHACEAE (terms to know: monoecious, dioecious)

Eriogonum POLYGONACEAE

Ambrosia ASTERACEAE (terms to know: ray flower, disc flower)

Argemone PAPAVERACEAE (term to know: alkaloid)

WEEK 4

Persicaria POLYGONACEAE (term to know: ochrea)

Typha TYPHACEAE

Anemopsis SAURURACEAE (term to know: Magnoliid)

Mentha LAMIACEAE

Juncus JUNCACEAE (term to know: auricle)

WEEK 5

Sicyos CUCURBITACEAE (terms to know: inferior ovary, tendril)

Menodora OLEACEAE

Mollugo MOLLUGINACEAE (term to know: whorled)

Polanisia CLEOMACEAE

Portulaca PORTULACACEAE (term to know: circumscissile)

Clematis RANUNCULACEAE

WEEK 6

Cheilanthes PTERIDACEAE (terms to know: sorus/sori, homosporous)

Nasturtium BRASSICACEAE (terms to know: silique) Lemna LEMNACEAE (term to know: utricle)

Zannichellia ZANNICHELLIACEAE

Marsilea MARSILEACEAE (term to know: heterosporous)

WEEK 7

Maclura MORACEAE (term to know: multiple of drupes)

Salvia LAMIACEAE (term to know: stipitate glandular= golf balls on tees!)… and NO credit for anyone who switches the “i” and the “v” and calls it saliva!!

Ericameria ASTERACEAE (terms to know: pappus, disc flower, discoid head)

Aloysia VERBENACEAE

Mimosa FABACEAE (term to know: stipular spines)

Note: The family name always ends in –aceae. If you switch the genus and the family you will NOT get credit!