Plant Notes: Gymnosperms

3/5/2024 Gymnosperms Evergreen plants contain thick cuticles on their leaves and sunken stomata, all to prevent water loss Coniferophyta – phylum of gymnosperms that produce cones Pinus palustrius (longleaf pine) is important to NC, but we’ve lost a lot of it – – To get resin for turpentine To get lumber Many gymnosperm ecosystems (including the longleaf pine), need fire to survive – Prescribed burning benefits these ecosystems o Fire promotes and maintains the pine ecosystem o Fire also reduces the number of hardwoods and other pine species that keep the main species from growing and invading Longleaf Pine Growth – – Grass stage (looks like a clump of grass) o The terminal bud is in the middle of all the thin needle-like leaves o When fire spreads, the leaves may fall off, but the terminal bud is protected Bottlebrush stage o Grows about 5-6 feet to get the terminal bud above the ground Red Cockaded Woodpecker – a bird that lives in longleaf pine trees – – – Have recently been endangered If we don’t have these trees, the woodpecker might go extinct FINALLY people started to care about the longleaf pine! Pine Straw – – Raking up the fallen pine needles & put them in a machine Dead pine needles are highly flammable Conifers are used as Christmas trees Soil moisture is important for tree growth and photosynthesizing Sap flow indicates rate of tree growth Pollem grain produces sperm Wetlands Distribution has decreased in America over the past 2 centuries – – Infrastucture o For transportation of cargo o EVERYONE wants to live on the beach! Health issues o Wetlands have been associated with mosquitos, which carry malaria o Also alligators which are dangerous o Wanted to avoid flooding (fewer wetlands, fewer flooding) Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) – – Keystone species Native to coastal plains o Southeast US Increased Flooding and salinity leads to decreased DBH in wetland plants Phylum Gingkophyta - ginkoes – – – – Widely cultivated Notched, broad, fan-shaped leaves Dioecious (male and female trees) Seeds enclosed in fleshy covering (technically not a fruit since it doesn’t develop from a flower) Phylum Cycadophyta – cycads 3/6/2024 Angiosperms Monocots vs. eudicots Monocots – – – – One cotyledon Flower petals occur in multiples of 3 Parallel leaf venation Vascular bundles scattered throughout the stem Dicots/Eudicots – – – – Two cotyledons Flower petals occurs in multiples of 4 or 5 Netlike leaf venation Herbacious dicots have vascular bundles in a ring Parts of a Flower – – – – – – – Pedicel (the part of the stem where the flower attaches Receptable Sepal (look like leaves) o Multiple are called calyx Petal o Multiple are called corolla Stamens o Anther (pollen production) o Filament (mini-stem) Pistil o Stigma o Style o Ovary Tepals = any member of an undifferentiated perianth More flower characteristics: Four whorls = sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils Complete flower = all 4 whorls Incomplete < 4 whorls Perfect = stamens and pistils Imperfect = stamens or pistils Staminate – possessing stamens Pistillate/carpellate – possessing pistils Monoecious – stamen and pistil on the same plant Perfect = monoecious Symmetry Radial – is symmetrical from anywhere you draw the radius Bilateral Inflorescence type Ovary = fruit Ovule = seed Bracts = modified leaves (often colored) Superior ovary = above the attachement of the Families: Monocots – – – – Poaceae: true grasses Asparaginales (formerly Liliaceae): lilies, tulips, onions, garlic, daffodils, amaryllis, asparagus, hyacinths Arecaceae - palms Orchidacaea – orchids Eudicots – – – – – – – Brassisaceae Cactaceae Fabaceae: legumes (beans, soybeans, peas, chickpeas, peanuts, Eastern redbud Rosaeceae: cherries, peaches, almonds, etc. Solanaceae: nightshades (potato, tomato, eggplant) Fagales: birch Sapindales: mango, cashew, poison ivy, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit