BOTANY is for Master Gardeners Dan Culbert Extension

BOTANY is for Master Gardeners Dan Culbert, Extension Agent III – Environmental Horticulture UF/IFAS – Okeechobee County

What is Botany? n And for that matter, what is Horticulture? Horticulture is the Art & Science of growing plants using intensive rather than extensive inputs

Plant classification (Taxonomy) There are many methods for identifying or grouping plants for communication n There are lots of systems of classification n Which ones can you think of?

Life cycle n Annual n n Biennial n n Short-lived plant. The entire life cycle is completed in one growing season. Two seasons to complete life cycle Perennial n Live from year to year, either woody or herbaceous.

Morphology or appearance n n n Evergreen, deciduous Woody, herbaceous Vines, trees, shrubs Opposite or alternate leaves Fruit, seed, etc. types We’ll get to more “mor-phology” in a minute!

Environmental n n Xerophyte, halophyte, hydrophyte Hardy, tender Temperate, tropical, subtropical Warm season, cool season s l o o c t n a ? l a p d ou Flori y o d h t n u e o s h W s in p o r c n o s ea

Usage n Fruit, vegetable, ornamental What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

Common names n Define rose

Scientific nomenclature n n n Kingdom Animalia Others Plantae Division (several, those with horticultural interest -) Pterodophyta - ferns Spermatophyta – seed bearing plants Class Gymnospermae – naked seeds Angiospermae Subclass Monocotyledonae (monocots) - 49, 000 types Dicotyledonae (dicots) - 237, 000 types And this is only half of it. .

Plants without seeds

Seed Plants without Fruit Cycads and Conifers produce separate male & female cones = dioecious

One or Two, and threes or fours/fives A big first step in plant ID is to determine if it is more like a palm or an oak, i. e. , a corn plant or a petunia

Once more - is it a Monocot or Dicot ? n n Number of cotyledons in seed Venation pattern Number of flower parts Arrangement of vascular bundles Do I need to know all this stuff?

Scientific names n n Order Family - ‘aceae’ usual ending n n n Genus Species n n First place you may start in identification Authority - Cultivar- cultivated variety Variety - botanical variety etc. Binomial nomenclature – Genus and species You can thank Linnaeus for all this!

CULTIVAR = CULTIVATED VARIETY “Assemblage of cultivated plants which is clearly distinguished by any characters and which, when reproduced (sexually or asexually) retains its distinguishing characters. ” - Liberty Hyde Bailey *Botanical varieties naturally breed true from seed *Cultivars are asexually cloned or by controlled sexual crossing of breeding lines

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum L. Big Boy Order Family Genus species Botanical variety Naming authority Cultivar Solanales Solanaceae Lycopersicon esculentum L. [ for Linnaeus] Big Boy Scientific names may tell you something about the plant.

Even more on scientific nomenclature n n Most commonly used system of nomenclature System is not static As you move down though the sections, plants are more closely related Based on flower and plant morphology

It’s all in the Family n n n Being able to identify an unknown plant to its family is a valuable skill Look at botanical characteristics and see if it reminds you of another plant Look at references under the name of the family to speed up your search

Common Plant Families n n n n Anacardiaceae Apocynaceae Cruciferae Fagaceae Gramineae Labiatae Leguminosae Rosaceae The rose is a rose and was always a rose; But theory now goes That the apple's a rose, And the pear is, and so's The plum, I suppose. The dear only knows What will next prove a rose. You, of course, are a rose, but were always a rose. - Robert Frost, "The Rose Family”

More Common plant families n n n n n Asteraceae Brassicaceae Poaceae Clusiaceae Lamiaceae Fabaceae Arecaceae Apiaceae Zamiaceae

What makes a plant and not an animal? n Cell walls n Ability to make own food n Special kinds of anatomical (plant) parts

Gross Anatomy Major Plant organs include: roots stems leaves reproductive organs: flowers or cones fruits and seeds Know the Node!

This Bud’s for You! New growth comes from Buds, or meristems. n Apical meristems n Lateral or auxiliary meristems n Crown buds n Root tips

Roots n Functions n absorption of water & nutrients n anchoring n conductance n storage

Roots n Morphology n primary root/secondary roots n tap root/fibrous roots n adventitious roots n root hairs

Types of Tree Roots Small absorbing roots Sinker roots Lateral roots Taproot

Tree Root Spread Whether a younger or an older plant, roots extend. . . … 2 to 4 times beyond the drip line.

Roots can be Special Rhizomes are roots Tubers are stems Stolons (runners) are above ground stems Pneumatophores = Knees

Stem n Functions n n Conductance Support Photosynthesis Gas exchange n n lenticels Morphology n n Nodes/internodes Modifications n n tendril thorn

Stem: Movin’ on up (and down) n n n Phloem – tubes that conduct food & hormones produced by the plant, from leaves to entire plant Xylem – tubes that conduct water and minerals from roots to entire plant These tissues are formed by the vascular cambium

Stem Growth - Monocots n n n Shoot Elongation n from a low growing point pushing upwards. Leaf Growth n Occurs from one bud, one growing point. Diameter Growth n Stem diameter is determined within the growing point - no cambium layer.

Palms are different! Palms only have one bud at the top of the stem Many palm roots do not have the ability to branch if they are cut

Stem Growth - Dicots Shoot Elongation n n Shoots grow in height at branch tips Leaf Growth n Occurs from the buds, making new cells.

Stem Growth - Dicots (Herbaceous vs. woody) Herbaceous stem growth: Bundles arranged in a ring Woody stem growth: • Between wood & bark is a thin layer of dividing cells

Weed Eater damage = dead plant n Phloem – n n n just beneath the bark transport of food & other products made by the plant down to the roots No food to roots – roots die – plant dies

Girdling = dead plant

Leaf n Functions n Collection of light n Photosynthesis n Gas exchange n Storage

More Leaf n Functions n Collection of light n Photosynthesis n Gas exchange n Storage Wh Wh at’ sa a. C C 4 3 p lan pla n t?

Leaves are different n Monocot Leaf n n n Chief veins are parallel or nearly so. Typically grasses, palms Dicot Leaf n n Veins form a net-like pattern. Commonly referred to as “Broadleaves”.

Getting Attached Morphology n n n Blade/petiole Shape of blade Margin Attachment to stem Number and arrangement of leaflets

Leaf Shapes are Simple

I’m Getting Edgy!

Leaf Me Alone! How many leaves are on this slide?

Flowers n n Function n Control pollination n Develop into fruit and seed Morphology n We need many slides for this! Remember – much of the classification of plants is based on floral morphology

Flower morphology n n n petals - corolla sepals - calyx receptacle pistil ovary/ovules style stigma stamen filament anther pollen

Pollen Grains Peas, if you please…

More-phology n Complete n n Perfect n n has petals, sepals, stamens and pistils has both stamens and pistils staminate pistillate Flower types n n monoecious dioecious

Fruits and seeds n Function n n seed dispersal seed protection contain genetic information for next generation and structures to create new plant Morphology n n Ovary development Cotyledons/endosperm, embryo

Seed Parts

Fruity, seedy Words… Dry fruits Fleshy fruits Dehiscent or indehiscent Multiple/aggregate

And what kind is this?

So when someone brings me a plant, how do I get to the scientific name? Dichotomous keys n Plant ID books n Glossaries of terms n Websites n

Plants & Their Environment

Plant Growth n n n Plants make their own food - by converting energy from sunlight. All living things require energy, not just for growth and reproduction, but also for the maintenance of life. To produce food, plants require energy, carbon dioxide, water, and the essential nutrients.

Plants and energy (simplified) n Photosynthesis n The process of turning light energy into energy that can be transported and stored by the plant ctly? n y h W t s u j ot h t e us r e n ee re i d gy

Eeek! Chemistry! 6 CO 2 + 12 H 2 O + light + chlorophyll = C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 H 2 O + 6 O 2 What does this mean to you?

Eeek! Chemistry! n n 6 CO 2 + 12 H 2 O + light + chlorophyll = C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 H 2 O + 6 O 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 is the general formula for carbohydrates n n Sugars can be transported Starches can be stored Both are forms of carbohydrates – as anyone on the Atkins diet can tell you!

More energy stuff n Respiration n Breaking the carbohydrates into a form of energy the plant can use Although we think of respiration in humans as breathing, breathing is really the gas exchange that supports respiration.

And more chemistry C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 H 2 O + 6 O 2 + mitochondria = 6 CO 2 + 12 H 2 O + energy in a useable form n Does anything about this formula look familiar?

Balance n Photosynthesis n n n Produces food Energy is Stored Occurs in Cells with Chloroplasts Oxygen is released CO 2 is used Occurs in light n Respiration n n n Uses food for Energy is released Occurs in all cells Oxygen is used Water is produced CO 2 is produced Occurs in Dark or Light

What’s all this used for, anyway? n Plant growth and development n n n Cell division Cell elongation Where does growth occur in plants? n Meristems

Plants and the environment n n n Light Water Nutrients Temperature Air

Light n n n Color n Why don’t plants grow well in green light? Intensity n Shade plants and full sun plants Duration n Total amount in a day n Photoperiod and flowering

Water n n n 90% of the plant is water Water is a carrier for nutrients Water is essential in chemical reactions – like? Too much water will suffocate plant toots Too little water will cause wilting and death

Nutrients n Required for growth n n n Environmental elements: n C, H, O Macro n N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca Micro n Mn, Mo, Zn, Bo, Fe, Cu, Cl

Temperature Heat and cold effect the rate of chemical reactions and therefore, plant growth.

Air Source of some nutrients n Gases for chemical reaction n Even some plant hormones are gases n

Soil Aeration n. Roots must have oxygen: nfor respiration nto absorb essential elements.

Back to Plant ID: Who ya gonna call? The first line of assistance is your county agent. n Other local experts are available n

Who ya gonna call? n n Herbarium – sent to UF though Extension office. n IFAS Form 3100/03 -2002 required n No fee (right now) Distance Diagnostic & Identification System http: //ddis. ifas. ufl. edu

DDIS Report will include: n Grower Information n Where/when collected n Plant/Weed characteristics n Photos must be high quality

Have you gone fruity yet?

Activity (1) Using a Plant Key for Identification or (2) Start Your own Plant ID Notebook: n n Press a plant complete the Plant ID Note Sheet

Acknowledgements: This presentation was adapted from a Power. Point originally developed by: Dr. Elizabeth Lamb, Cornell University IPM program – formerly @ UF/IFAS IRREC Other contributors include: n Adrian Hunsberger, Miami Dade Extension Agent n Kim Gabel, Hort Agent - Monroe County (THE KEYS) n Stan Rosenthal, Extension Agent – Forestry, UF/IFAS Leon County Extension n Jim Chatfield, Extension Specialist, the Ohio State University n Paul Baumann, Weed Specialist – TAMU n Oregon State Univ. Master Gardener Botany page: http: //extension. oregonstate. edu/mg/botany/index. html

Questions? n Thanks for your Attention! n Call or Write if you have more questions: Dan Culbert, Okeechobee Co. Extension Service n 863 -763 -6469 n indianco@ufl. edu n