Plant Taxonomy - Biology 308

Plant Taxonomy (BIOL308) - Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/

Plant Collection Grading Rubric

Your collection should meet the guidelines summarized below:

General Rules:

flowering plants only (no ferns or gymnosperms)

native or naturalized only - no cultivated plants. A cultivated plant is one that was specifically planted where it is currently growing. This includes virtually all plants, with the exception of weeds, on the inner campus areas of both institutions. No trees, shrubs and herbs that have been planted in gardens, yards, or flower beds, are permitted.

no plants from the St. John's prairie are permitted

How collection is to be turned in for grading:

each specimen will be enclosed in a standard sheet of newspaper that is folded in half.

binomial name, family name, and collectors initials and number written on the outside edge of the newsprint.

all of your specimens will be enclosed by a genus folder labeled with your name. The individual specimens in your folder should all open outward.

each specimen will be accompanied by a typed herbarium label (Herbarium Label Template; MS Word Format); do not tape the label to the newsprint

the entire collection will be accompanied by a "Plant Collection Worksheet" (pdf). Place this in your genus folder on top of the first specimen

the collection will be accompanied by a "Field Notebook" with a Field Record (pdf) for each specimen.

the specimens in the genus folder will be arranged in the order listed in the Collection Worksheet. Note this is not necessarily the same order as your personal collection numbers.

if fruits or other materials have been separated for drying, the specimens must be reconstituted

loose parts must be included in a separate packet that is included with the specimen

collections not turned in by the assigned date will be penalized

collections may include "bonus plants"

Identification (4 pts total)

family = 2 points

genus = 1 points

specific epithet & author citation = 1 point (you must identify all specimens to species, even those that were only listed by genus on the Plants-to-Know exam)

Collection & Specimen Data (2 points)

locality, habitat, date of collection, your name, and your collection number = 1 point

other information that is not obvious by examining the specimens including: growth form (vine, tree, shrub), soil type, sun exposure, abundance, flower color, height of plant (if a tree or shrub), odor, neighboring plants = 1 point. At a minimum you must indicate the general abundance of the plant and if it is a woody plant how tall it was.

mark county on map (if using preprinted herbarium labels)

note: St. John's is located in Collegeville. Collegeville and St. Joseph are both in Stearns County.

Specimen/Label Quality (2 points)

specimens must include flowers and/or fruits

herbaceous specimens must have roots

normal or typical individuals, undamaged

thoroughly dry

pressing shows both sides of leaves

attractive label

parent tree/shrub shows no damage (e.g., pruned)

specimen fits completely within the sheet of newsprint; the newsprint fits completely within the genus folder

includes more than a single specimen, especially multiple flowers and/or fruits

labels are a uniform size and cut carefully with parallel sides

spelling & typos count (check your binomials)

binomial italicized or underlined (don't underline space)

remove excess soil on roots

includes packet or other parts that may have been removed to dry separately

sheets open in folder in same direction

woody plants must include more than a single leaf and fruit (e.g., stem, 2 or more leaves, fruit)

do not separate fruits/flowers from specimen except if the part is very large.

be careful when computer-generating your labels - if you make a mistake on one label and copy it to your other labels then you will loose points on all.

don't abbreviate (e.g., CSB, St. Joe, Lake Sag)

don't abbreviate dates (e.g., 5/7/04) - this date could refer to May 7, 2004 or May 7, 1904 or July 5, 2004, etc. Write out the month so their is no question and use the full year.

use metric measurements

use appropriate botanical terminology (e.g., tomentose, not fuzzy; don't say "fruit spiky")

use accurate terminology (e.g., notched petals not "notched flowers")

complies with the other tips for herbarium specimens that are provided in the lecture notes.

Field Notes (1 point)

each specimen must be accompanied by a Field Record (pdf) in a three-ring binder
the field records should be in numerical order

there must be a field record for every specimen collected, whether or not the specimen is submitted in the final collection

the Field Record form must be filled in completely for specimens turned in for grading; the forms for those specimens not turned in for grading must be completed except for identification

click here for more on field notebooks