as below

BIOLOGY 1010L – BOTANY 

Laboratory Module 1. Introduction to BIO 1010L: Getting Started Digital Plant Collection Rather than have you collect plants and press them for credit, you will be collecting digital images of 5 (five) native2 plants (herbs, shrubs, trees, vines). You should ideally choose plants that are in flower, unless they are distinctive enough from the vegetative growth. You should also include several images for each plant, with close-ups of features used in their identification and a label. 2Native to southern Maryland or where you are currently. Each plant should have a label. • Label to include:  Scientific Name & Family  Common Name  Location (specific)  Habitat  Date  Collectors Name ( Your name here) & Collection Number Plants of Southern Maryland Family Genus species Authority Common Name Location Description & Habitat Collector’s Name & Number Date Note that the genus (Limnanthes below) and species (douglasii below) are in italics (in the old way, before computers, you had to underline the genus and species). The authority is the person who describes the species, usually a last name or initial(s) (for example, L is for Linnaeus, the father of plant taxonomy and R. Br. is for Robert Brown, an 18th C botanist famous for discovering the cell nucleus, cytoplasmic streaming and the namesake of Brownian motion) For Example: Plant images should be of reasonable quality/resolution. Enough to show details necessary to identify the plant. For Instance: (see below) Plants of California Limnanthaceae Limnanthes douglasii R. Br. Douglas meadowfoam Stanislaus Co.: Williams Road, 0.5 miles South of Highways 120/108, 20 miles east of Oakdale. Moist depressions in abandoned pasture, 300 ft. north of road. Growing with Mimulus guttatus DC. And Ranunculus californicus Benth. Elevation: 400 feet. Jane Q. Botanist 567 4 May 2001

The naming and classifying of plants is called taxonomy. A good source of information in determining the name of your plants is: Plants.usda.gov Enter either the common name or the scientific name (genus and species) and you will get the complete taxonomy of your plant. A good plant field guide and a camera are essential to completing this assignment. If you don’t have a field guide, check with your family or friends. The library is another place to look. You can also purchase one in a bookstore or on line. Check the calendar for the due date. Please attach your plant collection to the assignment. See “Attach File” below