Ms. Voykins's Biology 11 – Plant ID & Collection

download the assignment and assessment rubric

WHO: You, individually or with a partner.

WHAT: Compile a photographic collection of local plants to  identify and present. 

WHERE: Collection (digital photographs) will occur on school property, your property, at parks, or in nearby forest land.  Please respect private property! 

WHEN: Monday, October 6th, 2008.

WHY: To learn how to identify plants growing in your community.  To observe plants, recognize common characteristics between them, and study the unifying characteristics within each phylum.

HOW: You will take digital photos of specimens and present them in either a booklet, with PowerPoint (handed in on CD, USB, or email ), or another format if you discuss it with me first.

• Your collection should include leaves as well as cones, flowers, fruit, and seeds (where applicable and available/in season) for:

• Mosses (at least 2 different species).
• Ferns (at least 3 different species).
• Angiosperms (at least 10 different species)
• Gymnosperms (at least 3 different species).

• Include the following information in your booklet/PowerPoint:

• Photographs – clearly focused, appropriately zoomed, with token in corner.
• Common name and scientific name for each species.
• Using terminology from class, label all photos (e.g. gametophyte, sporophyte, prothallium, monocot, dicot, leaf shape, venation, sepal, petal, stigma, style, ovary, anther, filament, bract, fruit, seed, etc.) (botany glossary)
• Interesting facts or ecological notes (e.g. Aboriginal, medicinal, or culinary uses).

• Include a short description (one paragraph max) of the characteristics that unify each group (i.e. one paragraph on mosses, one paragraph on ferns, etc.)

• Make sure that the token is in every photograph you present.  Any specimens with a photo without a token will receive a zero.

• Include a list of references you used for identification and additional information. Here is how to cite your sources.

RESOURCES FOR IDENTIFYING PLANTS

1. E-Flora BC: An Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia.

TRY THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION SECTION

KEY FOR IDENTYFYING TREES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

How to use a dichotomous key

If you are really stuck...use the Identification Keys

How they made records of plants before cameras: Making an herbarium speciman

 

RESOURCES FOR LABELLING

PLANT DIAGRAMS

photo: click@morguefile

 

 

BC DIVERSITY SITE

Ferns & Fern Allies:

Small Ferns: - Alpine Lady Fern (Athyrium alpestre), Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris), Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycorrhiza), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum),  Maindenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa), Goldenback Fern (Pityrogramma triangularis), Narrow Leaved Sword Fern (Polystichum imbricans), Pacific Polypody (Polypodium amorphum aka P. montense), Leathery Grape Fern (Botrychium multifidum), Narrow Beech Fern (Thelypteris phegopteris).

Tall Ferns: Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant), Spiny Wood Fern (Dryoptteris expansa)

Horsetails:   Giant Horsetail (Equisetum telmatiea), Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Marsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre

Clubmosses: Running Clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum), Mountain Clubmoss (Lycopodium selago), Stiff Clubmoss (Lycopodium annotinum), Ground Cedar (Lycopodium complanatum), Wallace's Selaginella (Selaginella wallacei)

FLOWERING PLANTS:

Aster Family: Palmate Coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus), Mountain Arnica (Arnica latifolia), Streamside Arnica (Arnica amplexicaulis), Common California Aster (Aster chilensis), Gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia), Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Wall Lettuce (Lactuca muralis), Deltoid Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea),  Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Leafy Mountain Aster (Aster foliaceus), Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Hairy Cat’s Ear (Hypochaeris radicata), Wood Groudnsel Senecio sylvaticus, Goldenrod Solidago canadensis

Buttercup Family: Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens), Red Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa), Fern-Leaved Goldthread (Coptis asplenifolia)

Carrot Family: Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), Pacific Water Parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa), Sweet Mountain Cicely (Osmorhiza chilensis)

Evening Primrose Family:  Fireweed Epilobium angustifolium, Broad Leaved Willow Herb Epilobium latifolium,  Enchanter's Nightshade Circaea alpina

Figwort Family: Musk Flower (Mimulus moschatus), American Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga ssp. Americana), Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Eyebright Euphrasia sp.

Gentian Family: Bog Gentian AKA Swamp Gentian (Gentiana douglasiana), King Gentian (Gentiana sceptrum)

Lily Family: False Lily of The Valley (Maianthemum dilatatum), Fool’s Onion (Brodiaea hyacinthine), Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria), Queen’s Cup (Clintonia uniflora), Wild Tiger Lily (Lilium columbianum), White Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum), Rosy Twistedstalk (Streptopus roseus), Star-Flowered False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina stellata), Indian Hellebore (Veratrum viride), Sticky False Asphodel (Tofieldia glutinosa)

Mint Family: Cooley's Hedge Nettle (Stachys cooleyae), Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris), Swamp Hedge Nettle (Stachys mexicana), Northern Water Horehound Lycopus uniflorus

Mustard Family: Little/Few Seeded Western Bittercress (Cardamine oligosperma), Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris, Marsh Yellow Cress Rorippa palustris

Orchid Family: White Bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata), Western Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata ssp. mertensiana), Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana), Alaska Rein Orchid  (Platanthera unalascensis), Slender Bog Orchid Platanthera stricta

Pea Family: Giant Vetch (Vicia gigantea), Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca), Large Leaved Lupine (Lupinus littoralis), Black Medic (Medicago lupulina), White Clover (Trifolium repens), Red Clover Trifolium pratense

Pink Family: Crisp Sandwort (Stellaria crispa), Northern Starwort (Stellaria calycantha), Rose Campion Lychnis coronaria

Purslane Family: Siberian Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia sibirica)

Rose Family: Large - Leaved Avens (Geum macrophyllum), Wild Strawberry

(Fragraria virginiana), Woodland Strawberry (Fragraria vesca), Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus), Partridgefoot Luetkea pectinata, Silverweed Potentilla anserina ssp. pacifica, Sitka Burnet Sanguisorba canadensis ssp latifolia,

Saxifrage Family: Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata), Fringecup (Tellma grandiflora), Small Flowered Alumroot (Heuchera micrantha), Coast Boykinia (Boykinia elata), Alaska Saxifrage Saxifraga ferrugina, Leatherleaf Saxifrage Leptarrhena pyrolifia

Violet  Family: Stream Violet (Viola glabella)

Wintergreen Family - Pipsissewa AKA Prince's Pine (Chimaphila umbellate), Menzie's Pipsissewa (Chimaphila menziesii), One Sided Wintergreen (Orthilia secunda), Pink Wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia), 

Other Families: - Indian Potato AKA Western Starflower (Trientalis latifolia), Northern Starflower (Trientalis arctica), Bunchberry (Cornus Canadensis), Sea Milk Wort (Glaux maritime),  Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanum), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Sweet Scented Bedstraw (Galium triflorum), Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum), Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Deer Cabbage (Fauria crista-galli), Perennial Saltwort AKA American Glasswort (Salicornia virginica), Common Harebell AKA Bluebells of Scotland (Campanula rotundifolia), Vanilla Leaf Achlys triphylla, Common St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum, Common Plantain Plantago major,

Mosses & Liverworts::

True Mosses: Large and Feather Mosses: Hairy Step Moss (Hylocomium splendens), Big Red Stem (Pleurozium schreberi), Oregon Beeked Moss (Kindbergia oregana), Douglas Neckera (Neckera douglasii), Menzie's Neckera (Metaneckera menziesii), Cat Tail Moss (Isothecium myosuroides), Badge Moss (Plagiomnium insigne), Black Tufted Rock Moss (Racomitrium aciculare)

True Mosses: Smaller Mosses: Pipecleaner Moss (Rhytidiopsis robusta), Tree Moss (Climacium dendroides), Menzie's Tree Moss (Leucolepis acanthoneuron), Juniper Moss (Polytrichium juniperinum), Awned Haircap Moss (Polytrichium piliferum), Fan Moss (Rhizomnium glabrescens), Crane's Bill Moss (Atrichum selwynii), Wavy Leaved Cotton Moss (Plagiothecium undulatum), Bent Leaf Moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosa), Goosenecked Moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus), Broom Moss (Dicranum scoparium), Curly Hypnum (Hypnum subimonens), Swamp Moss (Philonotis fontana), Small Flat Moss Pseudotaxiphylum elegans

Sphagnum Mosses: Green Sphagnum (Sphagnum girgensohnii), Small Red Sphagnum (Sphagnum capillifolium), Fat Bog Moss (Sphagnum papillosum), Brown-Stemmed Bog Moss (Sphagnum lindbergii)

Liverworts: Ring Pellia (Pellia neesiana), Tree Ruffle Liverwort (Porella navicularis), Snake Liverwort (Conocephalum conicum), Cedar Shake Liverwort (Plagiochila porelloides), Common Fold Leaf Liverwort Diplophyllum albicans, Hanging Millipede Liverwort Frullinaria nisquallensis

See Also Clubmosses

Shrubs::

Vaccinium (blueberries & huckleberries): - Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), Black Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), Dwarf Blueberry (Vaccinium caespitosum), Oval-Leaved Blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), Alaska Blueberry Vaccinium alaskense

Rubus (raspberry family): Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Blackcap AKA Black Raspberry (Rubus leucodermis), Five Leaved Bramble (Rubus pedatus)

Ribes (gooseberries & currant): Black Gooseberry (Ribes lacustre),  Red Flowering Currant (Ribes snaguineum), Stink Currant (Ribes bracteosum)

Other Tall Growing Shrubs: Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Black Twinberry (Lonicera involucrate), Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana), Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor), Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana), Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus), False Azalea AKA Fool’s Huckleberry (Menziasia ferruginea), Hardhack (Spiraea douglassi ssp. Douglassi), Subalpine Spiraea (Spiraea densiflora), Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Baldhip Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), Sweet Gale (Myrica gale), Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Harry Manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana), Mock Orange Philadelphus lewisii, White Flowered Rhododendron Rhododendron albiforum, High Bush Cranberry AKA Squashberry Viburnum edule,

Climbing Shrubs: Western Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa), Hairy Honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)

Other Low or Spreading Shrubs: Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa) , Salal (Gaultheria shallon), Pink Mountain Heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis), Laborator Tea (Ledum groenlandicum), Twinflower  (Linnaea borealis), Western Bog Laurel (Kalmia microphylla), Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), Kinnickinick AKA Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), Mountain Boxwood AKA Falsebox (Pachistima myrsinites), Bog Cranberry Oxycoccus oxycoccos

Trees::

Evergreen Conifers with Needle-Like Leaves: Douglas Fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii), Amabilis Fir AKA Pacific Silver Fir AKA 'Balsam' (Abies amabilis), Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), White Pine (Pinus monticola), Shore Pine (Pinus contorta), Pacific Yew  (Taxus brevifolia),

Evergreen Conifers With Scale-Like Leaves:  Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), Yellow Cedar AKA Cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis), Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Evergreen Trees With Simple Leaves: Arbutus/Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii),

Deciduous Trees with Simple Leaves: Red Alder (Alnus rubra), Sitka Alder (Alnus crispa ssp sinuate), Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata), Paper Birch AKA White Birch (Betula papyrifera), Pacific Crab Apple (Malus fusca)

Deciduous With Compound Leaves: Greene Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina), Sitka Mountain Ash (Sorbus sitchensis)

Deciduous With Lobed Leaves: Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophullum)

Deciduous With Willow-Like Leaves: Sitka Willow (Salix sitchensis), Pacific Willow  (Salix lucida ssp lasiandra)