Learn about plant taxonomy

• Understand the conventions of naming and classifying to enable you to understand more about plants.
• Understand about distinguishing features and characteristics of plants.
• Learn about the relationship between different plants.
• Learn how to differentiate between different plant families.
• Taxonomy represents a valuable tool that horticulturists can apply in pursuit of their business.

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Taxonomy
   • Introduction to Plant Taxonomy
   • Scientific Vs. Vernacular Names
   • Linnaeus
   • Binomials
   • Uniformity
   • Protein Analysis
   • Ranks and Language
   • Ranks of Classification - KPCOFGS
   • Plant Phyla
   • Plant Families
   • Genus and Species
   • Latin Names
   • Gardener's Ranks
   • Hybrids
   • Subspecies
   • Varieties
   • Cultivars
   • International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
   • The Basic Ideas
   • Principle of Priority
   • Legitimate Naming
   • Recent Changes to the Code
   • International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
   • Taxonomic Name Resolution Service
   • International Plant Names Index
   • Trademarks & Patents
   • Plant Breeders Rights
   • The Rise of Molecular Data
   • The Impact of Molecular Data
2. Describing Plant Parts
   • Habit
   • Stems
   • Hairs
   • Leaves
   • Compound and Simple Leaves
   • Leaf Shapes
   • Leaf Margins
   • Leaf Structure
   • Leaf Arrangements
   • Leaf Venation
   • Leaf Modifications
   • Roots
   • Root Modifications
   • Terminology
   • Flowers
   • The Inflorescence
   • Fruits
   • Dry Fruits
   • Fleshy Fruits
   • Compound Fruits
   • A Key to the Main Types of Fruits
   • Terminology
3. Recording & Analysing Plant Descriptions
   • HERBARIA - Collecting and Preserving a Plant
   • Fresh Material
   • Arranging Plants for Pressing
   • Pressing Difficult Specimens
   • The Drying Process
   • Herbarium Specimens
   • Photographs
   • The Problem of Colour
   • The Law Relating to Plant Collecting
   • Describing a Plant on Paper
   • The Equipment You Need
   • Botanical illustration
   • Floral Diagrams
   • Floral Diagram Technique
   • Floral Formulae
   • DNA Barcoding
   • Process of Using DNA Barcoding for Plant Identification
   • Applications of DNA Barcoding
   • CHEMICAL ANALYSIS (Chemotaxonomy)
4. Taxonomic Techniques
   • The advantages of using keys and their limitations
   • Using a key
   • The rules when making a key
   • Lamiaceae (Simplified Key)
   • Rules When Writing Couplets
   • Best Practice Points
   • Making a key
   • Why botanical families are so useful when identifying plants
5. Primitive Plants
   • The Bryophytes
   • Mosses
   • Liverworts
   • Hornworts
   • VASCULAR PLANTS or tracheophytes
   • Vascular Tissue and Why it is Important in Evolution of Life on Earth
   • A glossary to help you
   • The Lycopodiopsida (or Lycophytes)
   • Clubmosses - Plants in the family Lycopodiaceae
   • Quillworts - Plants in the Family Isoetaceae
   • Spike Mosses or Lesser Clubmosses – Plants in the Family Selaginellaceae
   • the euphyllophytes – the seed plants, horsetails, and ferns
   • The Seed Plants
   • Horsetails
   • The Ferns
6. Seed Plants
   • The gymnosperms
   • The cycads – 1 order, 3 families, 10 genera, 285 species
   • Ginkgo - 1 order, 1 families, 1 genus, 1 species
   • The Gnetidae - 3 orders, 3 families, 3 genera, 71 species
   • Welwitschiaceae - 1 Genus, 1 Species
   • Gnetaceae - 1 Genus, 30 Species
   • The conifers - 3 orders, 6 families, 69 genera, 591 species
   • The Conifers’ Life History
   • The Cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetidae — How they Differ from the Conifers
   • The Six Families of Conifers
   • The Angiosperms
   • Flowers and Why they are Important in Evolution of Life on Earth
   • The Flowering Plant’s Life History
   • The Diversity of Angiosperms
7. Phylogeny of Land Plants
   • Introduction
   • Darwin’s Tree of Life Metaphor - The Hidden Bond of Descent
   • Why Use DNA Sequences for Classification?
   • The Principle of Monophyly
   • The Phylogeny of Land Plants
   • The major changes in flowering plant taxonomy
   • The End of the Monocot-Dicot Split
   • Finally, Some Resolution Within the Monocots
   • Some Surprises
   • Name Changes Resulting from the Increase in Evidence
   • When Applying the Principle of Monophyly Results in Name Changes
   • What we can learn from phylogenies
8. Monocotyledons
   • Summary of Important Families
   • The Monocots — SIGNIFICANT FAMILIES
   • Arecaceae
   • Aizoaceae (syn. Ficoidaceae)
   • Dioscoraceae
   • Liliaceae
   • Orchidaceae
   • Iridaceae
   • Amaryllidaceae
   • Asparagaceae
   • Arecaceae
   • Pontederiaceae
   • Musaceae
   • Bromeliaceae
   • Poaceae
   • Cyperaceae
   • Juncaceae
9. Dicotyledons (Part I)
   • Important Dicot Families
   • Key to Selected Angiosperm Families
   • Lower-growing Soft-wooded Plants
   • Apiaceae
   • Asteraceae
   • Brasicaceae
   • Crassulaceae
   • Lamiaceae
   • Euphorbiaceae
   • Gesneriaceae
   • Ranunculaceae
10. Dicotyledons (Part 2)
    • Fabaceae - Papilionoideae, Mimosoideae, Caesalpinoideae
    • Fagaceae
    • Ericaceae
    • Malvaceae
    • Myrtaceae
    • Ongaraceae
    • Rosaceae
    • Proteaceae
    • Rutaceae
    • Rubiaceae

Aims

• Explain how plants are classified, including both benefits of and contradictions within the scientific system as followed by horticulturists and botanical scientists across different parts of the world.
• Examine and describe parts of a plant, both sexual and asexual, at various stages of the plant’s life cycle.
• Process descriptive information about a plant using taxonomic techniques that involve processing that data to create a better understanding and/or record of that information.
• Explain a variety of tools used in taxonomic work.
• Explain the taxonomy of land plants that do not produce seeds.
• Explain taxonomy of a range of significant, seed producing plants, including gymnosperms.
• Explain the relationship between different types of plants (i.e. phylogeny), and how molecular information impacts on this in taxonomic considerations.
• Differentiate between at least 10 different families of monocotyledon plants, through inspection and identification of a range of commonly shared characteristics within that family.
• Differentiate between at least 10 different families of dicotyledon plants which predominantly contain lower growing soft wooded plants or herbs; through inspection and identification of a range of commonly shared characteristics within that family.
• Differentiate between at least 10 different families of dicotyledon plants which predominantly contain woody trees and shrubs; through inspection and identification of a range of commonly shared characteristics within that family.

Knowing how to identify plants is important to any horticulturist or botanist.

• Study Plant Taxonomy to understand more about plants and how to classify them.
• Use you knowledge in developing your career and professional profile.
• The course requires approximately 100 hours of study, with a variety of self-assessments, and assignments to help and supplement your learning.
• Your tutor is there to support you in your studies - to offer guidance and to answer your questions as you progress through the course.
• The course is available for you to start at any time, and you can enrol today.