Syllabi - Botany Winter 2008

BOTANY SERIES
Mosses, Ferns, and Other Non-Flowering Plants
Professor Karen Snetselaar

This course is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The lectures will be given at the PHS offices, 100 N. 20th Street (20th and Arch Streets), Philadelphia.

LECTURES BEGIN AT 6:30 P.M.

Monday, January 14, 2008 - The First Land Plants
The exact origin of the land plants was a mystery for quite a long time, but now a small group of green algae is recognized as sharing common ancestors with all the rest of the land plants. This week we will talk about the evidence for the origin of land plants among these small algae.
Monday, January 28, 2008 - Liverworts and Mosses
Low-growing plants differ from the rest of the more familiar plants - they lack seeds and flowers. They are usually found close to water because they do not have the complex internal transport system found in other plants. But despite their simple appearance, their life history and mode of reproduction are fascinating.
Monday, February 4, 2008 - Fern-Like Plants
The ferns are a relatively large and successful group of seedless plants. This week we will talk about relatives of ferns, some that are extinct and some that are still around.
Monday, February 11, 2008 - Ferns
Botanists recognize two large groups of ferns, based on microscopic characters thought to have evolved long ago. We will talk briefly about members of both groups, and discuss a few of the larger fern groups.
Monday, February 181, 2008 - Gymnosperms I
We may often think that "gymnosperm" and "conifer" refer to pretty much the same plants, but actually the conifers are only one of at least five separate groups of plants with "naked seeds." Some of these other groups include plants that are among the most bizarre on the planet.
Monday, February 25, 2008 - Gymnosperms II
We will only have time for a small sample of the more familiar gymnosperms, many of which have cones, but some of which are less obviously part of this group.

Owing to space limitations, this course requires preregistration. Preregistration will begin on Monday, November 12, 2007. To preregister, call (215) 763-6529, ext. 23.

Please note change of course dates:

There will be no class on Monday January 21 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The regular schedule resumes Monday, January 28, 2008.

For many gardeners, the word "plant" is practically synonymous with "flowers." However, the flowering plants have been on earth for a relatively short time, and even seed plants such as pines are relative newcomers. In this course we will survey the evolutionary history of land plants, including the members of these ancient groups that are still around today and are of special interest to gardeners and naturalists. Each session will begin with an optional quiz over material covered the previous week.