plant taxonomy disciplines

1. floristic
2. monographic
3. systematic

three plant taxonomy disciplines

floristic studies

collection and ID of plant life within a geographic region

published flora

outcome of floristic studies

1. plant life within a geographic region
2. book describing plant life within a geographic region

“flora” term contexts

alpha taxonomist

taxonomist that conducts floristic studies

1. select a geographic region
2. conduct a herbarium search
3. conduct field collections
4. prep field collections
5. publish flora

floristic study outline

region with outdated or no flora

geographic region of an alpha taxonomist

herbarium

plant depository

index herbariorum

catalog of world herbaria addresses

priority locations

locations selected by alpha taxonomists

1. transect method
2. meander method

two types of collection methods

transect method

collect at designated transect points

of development

transect method is impractical now because ___

meander method

collecting towards lower diversity

going 30 minutes without finding a new plant

stopping point of the meander method

1. mount and label specimens
2. ID and database specimens
3. select and deposit voucher specimens

prepping field collections steps

voucher specimen

floristic ID reference specimen

1. geographic synopsis
2. floristic historic synopsis
3. flora synopsis

published flora components

1. geologic history
2. physiographic area
3. soil topography
4. climatic extremes
5. contemporary land use

components of a geographic synopsis

glacial events

example of geographic history

watersheds

example of physiographic areas

soil types

example of soil topography

annual rainfall

example of climatic extremes

forest, urban, etc.

example of contemporary land use

1. previously published flora
2. historic collectors

components of a floristic historic synopsis

1. taxonomic keys
2. character glossary
3. species synopsis

components of the flora synopsis

1. current nomenclature
2. diagnostic description (essential ID characteristics)
3. specimen illustration
4. current range
5. habitat
6. current status
7. floristic origin

components of a species synopsis

abundant, rare, endangered, etc.

examples of a species synopsis current status

indigenous vs. non-indigenous origin

floristic origins

indigenous

native plant associated with non-disturbed habitats

endemic

organism with a restricted geographic range

mustards (Lesquerella lyrata and Leavenworthia alabamicium)

example of endemic plants in alabama

disjunct

organism that is a geological relic (found all over)

hemlock (tsuga canadensis)

example of disjunct plants in alabama

non-indigenous

non-native, associated with disturbed habitats

non-naturalized alien

non-indigenous with few collection records

garlic mustard (alliaria petiolata)

example of a non-naturalized alien plant in alabama

naturalized alien

non-indigenous plant with many collection records

kudzu (pueraria lobata)

example of a naturalized alien plant in alabama

monographic studies

updated classification based on previously published data integrated with new data, is required for a PhD in botany

revision

synonym for monographic studies

beta taxonomist

conducts monographic studies

genus lacking a monograph or with an outdated monograph

select plant taxon for monographic studies

conduct literature search

obtain all previously published literature on a plant

original descriptions

essential for a literature search

original description

botanical journal publication that describes a new species

1. scientific name
2. latin description
3. designated type specimen
4. location type specimen

information that an original description provides

type specimen

specimen with a relevant nomenclature name, is vital to nomenclature

nomenclature index

provides original description citations, used to locate original descriptions

international plant name index (IPNI)

internet service nomenclature index

herbarium search

process where the type and general specimens are collected

general specimen

non-relevant nomenclature specimen with no name attached to it

as many as possible

number of general specimens that must be borrowed

herbarium index

catalog of world herbaria

index herbariorum

internet service that provides info on herbariums like their addresses

1. macro-morphological method
2. micro-morphological method
3. karyotype
4. chemical

types of research methods

macro-morphological method

qualitative and quantitative measures of macro-morphological floral and vegetative characters

qualitative character

non-measurable, subjective characters (non-numerical)

petal color

example of a qualitative character

quantitative character

measurable character with numerical value

petal width

example of a quantitative character

1. dissecting scope
2. metric ruler
3. database

tools used for the macro-morphological method

contemporary monographs

required by the macro-morphological method

traditional research method

macro-morphological method is a ___

micro-morphological method

qualitative and quantitative measure of micro-morphological floral and vegetative characteristics

1. electron microscope
2. micrometer
3. database

tools used in the micro-morphological method

karyotype method

method that measures chromosome characters

somatic cells during mitosis prophase

what the karyotype method observes

chromosome characters

chromosome number

1. light microscope
2. database

tools used in the karyotype method

chemical method

qualitative and quantitative analysis of micro-compound or macro-compound characters

1. chemotaxonomy
2. molecular taxonomy

chemical method disciplines

chemotaxonomy

chemical method discipline that utilizes micro-compound characters

micro-compounds

small molecular biochemical compounds

flavonoids

very diverse micro-compounds known to all tracheophytes

1. chromatography
2. database

tools used in the chemotaxonomy chemical method

chromatography

isolates and IDs flavonoids

1. paper chromatography
2. high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)

two types of chromatography used in chemotaxonomy

molecular taxonomy

chemical method discipline that utilizes macro-compound characters

macro-compounds

relatively large biochemical compounds

nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)

example of a macro-compound

chromosome DNA

different between species through nucleotide sequence

chloroplast DNA

have separate DNA from the plant genome

rbcL gene

gene in chloroplasts that gives rise to ribulose bisphosphate carboxylate

ribulose bisphosphate carboxylate

found in all photosynthetic plants

1. centrifuge
2. restriction enzyme
3. gene nucleotide sequencer
4. database

tools used in the molecular taxonomy chemical method

1. classical analysis
2. numerical analysis

two types of data analysis

classical analysis

does not employ computer analysis, manually assigns species limits using salient characters only

salient characters

definition that depends on the botanist, characters that are highly subjective

numerical analysis

computer analysis assigns species limits, uses all characters, highly objective

post-data analysis

species are recognized

nomenclature

naming the organism

common names

non-formal name used by non-scientists

1. easily pronounced
2. easily remembered

common name advantages

unreliable scientific communication

common name disadvantages

1. plants with multiple common names
2. same common name for multiple species
3. inconspicuous plants have no common name

reasons why the common name is unreliable scientific communication

dandelions (200+ common names)

example of a plant with multiple common names

sycamore

example of a plant with the same common name for multiple species

liverwort

example of a plant with an absent common name

scientific name

formal name used by scientists