794-103 Plant Materials I

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

The objective of this subject is to extend participants' ability to:

• identify and describe the main morphological features of stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits;

• explain the principles of and correctly use botanical and horticultural nomenclature;

• outline the important features of divisions in the plant kingdom;

• identify 140 plants used in Australian environmental horticulture.

The content includes: The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and Code for Cultivated plants; use of botanical names in horticulture; introduction to classification and taxonomy; identification features of angiosperms, gymnosperms, monocotyledons, and dicotyledons; describing plants using foliar, stem, flower and fruiting characteristics; plant study groups based on habit and life cycle and thematic approaches.

Assessment

Practical test (1 x 20%), plant identification tests (2 x 25%), exam (30%).

Prescribed Texts

• Clarke I and Lee H, Name that Flower. MUP (1994).
• Hitchmough J, ed. (1993), Landscape Plant Manual, Vol.1. VCAH Ltd Burnley, Richmond.
• Lumley P and Spencer R, Plant Names, A Guide to Botanical Nomenclature. (2nd ed.) Royal Botanic Gardens: Melbourne 1991.