Plants of the Day

 

Lecture 1 Exam

Lecture 2 Exam

Lecture 3 Exam

Halloween BotCostumes

 

Images of "plants of the day" mentioned in lecture will be added here as they are covered in lecture. Extra credit will be provided for solving the question given for each plant.

 

Adansonia baobabs Who is now the world expert on this genus of plants named after Michel Adanson? And what interesting systematic study did he/she do on these trees besides molecular phylogenetic analysis?

 

Ernst Haeckel's Tree of Life Where did he place what have been traditionally called "fungi" (including slime molds - Myxomycota - and lichens) in his tree of life illustration?

 

Laurus nobilis laurel Why is the Mediterranean basal angiosperm laurel forever linked with the Olympics? Hint: the image on the right is from Greek mythology and the shrub/tree laurel is evident to the left of that image.

 

Artocarpus - breadfruit of the Moraceae - will be forever linked with the Mutiny on the Bounty and Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian. Breadfruit is seen on the deck of the Bounty in this scene where Captain Bligh is set adrift in a rowboat. Find out where the breadfruit came from, where it was being taken by the Bounty, and why.

 

Hura crepitans (Euphorbiaceae) This tropical tree is one of the most deadly sources for arrow poisons. The species possesses other features that make it a nasty plant for humans and other mammals. Find one of these.

 

Tilia europea - European basswood, lime tree, linden, or lin The names "lin" and "Carl Linne" or "Carolus Linnaeus" appear to be derived from the same root word. What is the story connecting these two names?

 

Hydnophytum - ant-plant epiphytes (Rubiaceae) This genus and close relatives of the subtribe Hydnophytinae are now shown by DNA evidence to actually have evolved out of what genus (!) in the coffee family?

 

Eupatorium rugosum Asteraceae white snakeroot As the common name might suggest, this plant is highly poisonous. Humans typically are poisoned by drinking milk from cattle eating the plants. What famous person is thought to have died from snakeroot?     http://www.missouriplants.com/Whiteopp/ Eupatorium_rugosum_plant.jpg

 

Lodoicea maldivica coco-de-mer, double-nut, Seychelles palm This genus of 1 species is endemic to the Seychelles and has generated a lot of interest in having the largest seed known, and in that the shape of the seed has suggested the devil's work or aphrodisiacal properties. What is unusual about how this species was first discovered?

 

Only 2 angiosperms occur in Antarctica: Antarctic hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica) [shown on the right side of the photo] and what other species [shown on the left side]? These occur on north facing slopes with mosses and liverworts, also seen in the photo.

 

 

Halloween Plant Costumes by Botany 400 Students

Arctium lappa

Cucurbita pepo

Dionaea muscipula

Ficus bengalensis

Hedera helix

Quercus alba

Ribes hirtellum

Juglans X Malus

Rudbeckia hirta

Halloween Plant Costumes by other Crazy Botanists

Rafflesia Dan Nickrent

Sarracenia

this could be you