| Oklahoma Flora Syllabus | List of Required Plants | Collection Information | Maps |
| Plant Image Web Sites | Botanical Nomenclature | Assignments | Previous Flora Field Trips |
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Classification of plants, especially seed plants of the local flora; field
and herbarium work.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is intended to help the student
a. Understand the great variation of plants that occur in Oklahoma
b. Use dichotomous keys to identify unknown plants
c. Recognize plant families important to the local flora
d. Understand the effects of geology, topography, and climate on
the local flora
e. Identify individual plants and use the correct common and scientific
names
f. Recognize the locally important toxic plants
COURSE RESOURCES
1. Identification of Oklahoma Plants. Oklahoma Flora Committee.
May, 2003
2. Field Guide to Oklahoma Plants, Tyrl, Masters, and Bidwell. Oklahoma
State University, 2002
3. Forest Trees of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Forestry.
CLASS SUPPLIES
1. 10x handlens (loupe) ABSOLUTE NECESSITY
6. 5 2x8 inch notebook paper
2. Field Notebook
7. SMALL 3 RING BINDER (5 2x8)
3. Insect Repellant
8. Clippers (optional)
4. Sturdy shoes, closed toe only
9. Dandelion digger (optional)
5. One package of short scantrons (15 item)
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Time in the field is class time and all classroom policies apply (no tobacco
use, regular attendance, etc.). If any student feels that he or she
has a disability and needs special accommodations, please advise the instructor
at the first class attended. NSU will publicize any changes in schedules
due to inclement weather on the local radio and television stations.
This is a field course and you can expect at anytime to be in fields
or ditches, climbing over rocks, and walking through blackberries and greenbriars;
therefore, NO OPEN-TOE SHOES!!
STUDENT EVALUATION
Oklahoma Flora is designed as a field course. Therefore, a large
portion of the grade will be determined by identification skills.
This class meets from 8:30 am. To 12:30 pm. Since we only meet 20 times
during the intersession, missing a single class is equivalent to missing
an entire week of class. Each class will generally have three quizzes,
two in the class and the other in the field. Each quiz is worth 30
points, except for county quizzes which are worth 15 points. The lowest
two field or class quizzes will be dropped as well as one county quiz.
Possibilities for points
Identification quizzes/lab quizzes
40%
Plant Collection
20%
County quizzes
5%
Assignments
5%
Research Reports
10%
Final Exam (comprehensive)
20%
COURSE OUTLINE
The exact sequence of topics and plants groups will depend heavily upon
the weather conditions during class times. Each of the following areas
will be covered during the course: Phytogeography of Oklahoma, Toxic Plants,
Plants Structures, Scientific Nomenclature, Species Richness Measurements
and Research Report, Identification of Local Plants.
COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS
The collection will be a team effort among two students. Each collection
must be accompanied by a list of the plants in the collection and your field
notebook. The collection must include 10 families and 30 species.
Plants identified only to genus on your required list may be included but
must be identified to species. A sample grading form is attached.
You will also turn in a hardcopy of your field notebook as well as an electronic
version.
Failure to turn in a collection will result in an incomplete grade.
| Required Plant List: Not yet uploaded!! |
| Maps: These links are from a variety of sources. Most of the maps are in color and will not print well from our computer labs. |
Plant Image
Web Sites
Links of
Special Interest to Oklahoma Flora Students contains links to many web
sites with images of flowers, fruits and plants in their habitats.
The three links below, especially the Digital Flower should be useful.
Digital
Flowers from the University of Illonois
Floral Formulas:
University of Wisconson
Floral
Formulas: Version 2
Botanical
Nomenclature
Scientific Names
and How to Say Them
Garden Gate: Roots of Botanical Nomenclature
Plants Database from the USDA
Assignment
Links
Assignment One
Assignment Two
Modified
Whittaker Methods Instructions Journal
of Range Management
Previous Flora
Field Trips
Images from revious semesters of Oklahoma Flora field trips as well as
the location of the field trip can be found here.