Plant Systematics

Paper Code: 
BOT321
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

Course Objectives:

This course will enable the students to –

  1. To enable the students identify thrust areas of modern taxonomy without shifting focus from the traditional ones.
  2. To enable students to classify the higher plants based on their taxonomical characters
  3. To introduce various classification (Classical and Modern) methodologies in vogue for Angiosperms
  4. To impart knowledge about the economic importance of higher plants under the taxonomic hierarchy.
  5. To create an exposure on preservation techniques of plants leading to their collection during field trips.

 

Course Outcomes (COs):

     Course

Course Outcome

Learning and teaching strategies

Assessment Strategies

Paper Code

Paper Title

BOT 321

 

Plant Systematics

CO55:  Classify plants and recognize the importance of herbarium and virtual herbarium and evaluate the important herbaria and botanical gardens

CO56:  Interpret the rules of IUCN in botanical nomenclature

CO57:  Assess terms and concepts related to phylogenetic systematics

CO58:  Generalize the characters of the families according to Bentham & Hooker’s system of classification and learn its merits and demerits

CO59:  Develop a basic knowledge of taxonomic diversity and important families of useful plants and appreciate its importance for humans.

CO60:  Increase the awareness and appreciation of plants & plant products encountered in everyday life

CO61:  Familiarize with the methods of plant identification and learn the taxonomic evidences from molecular and numerical taxonomy

Class lectures

Seminars

Tutorials

Group discussions and Workshops

Question preparation

 

 

Class test, Semester end examinations, Quiz, Solving problems in tutorials, Assignments, Presentation, Individual and group projects
 

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Systematics

Goal and essence of taxonomy; systems of classification – artificial, natural and phylogenetic. Current systems of classification – Takhatajan, Cronquist, Thorne, APG System (Judd 2002).                                                                 

12.00
Unit II: 
Botanical nomenclature

The international code of Botanical nomenclature – Principles, rules and recommendations. Principle of priority; typification; rule of valid and effective publication; author citation; retention and rejection of names; change of rank; nomenclature of fossils, lichens, fungi and hybrid & cultivated plants.

Taxonomic hierarchy:  Concept of genus and family, primitive vs Advanced characters, homology, analogy, parallelism, convergence, horizontal and vertical classification, monophylly and polyphylly.                                                                         

12.00
Unit III: 
Taxonomic literature

Floras, Monographs, Manuals, Bibliographies, Catalogues, Taxonomic index, Keys for identification.

Introduction to flora of India, endemic & endangered species, Red data Book, role of Botanical survey of India. Herbaria, botanical garden.                                                                                                              

12.00

Diagnostic features, systematics, phylogeny and economic importance of Ranunculaceae, Magnoliaceae, Fabaceae (Papillionaceae, Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae), Rosaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Apiaceae, Apocyanaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Convolvulaceae,Solanaceae, Acanthaceae, Lamiaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Orchidiaceae, Liliaceae, Araceae and Poaceae. 

                                                   

12.00
Unit V: 
Modern trends in Taxonomy

Chemotaxonomy:  application of phytochemistry to taxonomy.

Numerical taxonomy:  Operational Taxonomic Units (OTU’s), selection of characters, data processing, clusters analysis.

Biosystematics: Concept and categories, methods in experimental taxonomy.

Computerised systematics:  GIS, Data banking and use of computers in taxonomy.

Molecular approaches to Plant Taxonomy: Applications of DNA markers in plant taxonomy.                                                                                            

Essential Readings: 
  • Bendre and Kumar, A. 1998. Economic Botany. Rastogi Publications, Meerut.
  • Davis, PH and Heywood, VH. 1973. Principles of Angiosperms Taxonomy. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., New York.
  • Grant, V. 1971. Plant Speciation. Columbia University Press, New York.
  • Grant, WF. 1984. Plant Biosystematics. Academic Press, London.
  • Harrison, HJ. 1971. New Concepts in Flowering Plant Taxonomy. Hieman & Co.Educational Book Ltd., London.
  • Heywood, VH and Moore, DM. 1984. Current Concepts in Plant Taxonomy. Academic Press, London.
  • Jones, AD and Wilbins, AD. 1971. Variations and Adaaptations in Plant Species. Hieman & Co. Educational Books Ltd., London.
  • Jones, SB Jr. and Luchsinger, AE. 1986. Plant Systematics (2nd edition). McGraw Hill Book Co., New York.
  • Kocchar, SL. 1998. Economic Botany in Tropics, 2nd edition. McMillan India Ltd., New Delhi.
  • Kumar and Suresh. 2002. Economic Botany. Campus books International, New Delhi.
  • Pandey. 1993. Economic Botany. S. Chand & Co., New Delhi.
  • Rendel. 1979. The Classification of Flowering Plants Vol. I & II. Vikas Publishing House.
  • Sambhamurthy, AVSS and Subramanayam, NS. 1989. A Text Book of Economic Botany. Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi.
  • Sharma, OP. 1996. Hill’s Economic Botany (Late Dr. AF Hill, adopted by OP Sharma). Tata McGraw Hill Co. Ltd., New Delhi.
  • Simpson, BB and Conner- Ogorzaly, M. 1986. Economic Botany- Plants in Our World. McGraw Hill, New York.
  • Sivrajan, VV. 1999. Introduction to Principles of Plant Taxonomy (2nd edition). Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
  • Stace, TA. 1989. Plant Taxonomy and Biosystematics (2nd edition). Edward Arnold Ltd., London.
  • Takhtajan, AL. 1997. Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants. Columbia University Press.
  • Tyagi. 1996. An Intriduction to Taxonomy of Angiosperms. Himalaya Publishing House.
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Academic Year: 
2019-2020
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