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Of Vascular Plants. 3Rd Edition. (Available On Smartsite) : Aewilson@Ucdavis - Edu
Of Vascular Plants. 3Rd Edition. (Available On Smartsite) : Aewilson@Ucdavis - Edu
Text: Gifford, E.M., and A.S. Foster. 1989. Morphology and Evolution
of Vascular Plants. 3rd Edition. (available on SmartSite)
PLB 116 Course Materials Fee: $80.00 per student, collected by the Registrar’s Office.
A waiver may be requested by obtaining a “Request for Waiver of Fee” form from the
Department of Plant Science office, 1210 PES. The form must be submitted to the department
MSO by the 20th day of instruction. Waivers will be approved only in very extreme cases of
financial hardship.
Teaching Assistants:
Alex Wilson, Ph.D. Student, Plant Biology Grad. Group
E-mail: aewilson@ucdavis.edu
Office hours: To be announced
Grading: Approximately two-thirds of the final grade is determined by performance on the two
lecture midterms and the final exam. Approximately one-third is determined by laboratory
performance and participation. The following point breakdown is approximate only. Final
numbers will be prorated to meet the approximately 2/3:1/3 lecture: lab weighting.
Lecture mini-quizzes (ca. 5) approx. 50 points
1st Midterm approx. 100 points
2nd Midterm approx. 100 points
1st Lab Quiz approx. 50 points
2nd Lab Quiz approx. 50 points
Lab drawings approx. 25 points
Final letter grades will be assigned on an adjusted percentage basis, where the top score will
equal 100% and be an A+. Based on the top score, all other scores will be adjusted upward (by a
maximum of 6%) so that A = 92.5%-99.99% of the top score; A- = 90- 92.49% if the top score;
B+ = 87.5-89.9% of the top score; B = 82.5-87.49% of the top score; B- = 80-82.49% if the top
score; C+ = 77.5-79.9% of the top score; C = 72.5%-77.49%; etc.
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Week 1
Jan. 9 Introduction and scope of course (Chap. 1 [skip p. 3], 2); vascular plant characteristics;
alternation of generations/phases (Chap. 2, 3, p. 23-27; 33-42)
Jan. 11 Geologic time scale; origin of land plants (Chap. 1, p. 4-8; Chap. 2, p. 19-20); ancient
vascular plants (Chap. 7); origin of sporic life cycle (Chap. 2, p. 15-19)
Jan. 12 Charophytes, Bryophytes, “Protracheophytes,” Rhyniophytes (Chap. 2, p. 15-19; Chap.
7); Lycopodiales (Chap. 9, p. 105-125) [Lab 1]
Jan. 13 Lycophytes (Chap. 9); sporangia and gametangia (Chap. 4, 5) heterospory (Chap. 2;
Chap. 9, 125-143);
Week 2
Jan. 16 HOLIDAY (Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday Observed
Jan. 18 Morphological homology; angle meristems and rhizophores (Chap. 9, 125-143)
Jan. 19 Selaginella (Chap. 9, 125-143); Lepidodendrales and fossil peels (Chap. 9, p. 143-153;
Chap. 1, p. 4-8); Isoetes (Chap. 9, p. 153-167) [Lab 2]
Jan. 20 Microphylls and megaphylls (Chap. 3, p. 27-31); secondary growth (Chap. 9, p. 143-
167); phylogeny of Euphyllophytes (Chap. 13, p. 246- 253; Chap. 11)
Week 3
Jan. 23 Shoot branching (Chap. 3, p. 25-27); Sphenophytes, Psilophytes, (Chap. 10, 8)
Jan. 25 Telome theory (Chap. 3, p. 31-33)
Jan. 26 Sphenophytes (Chap. 10); Psilophytes; (Chap. 8) [Lab 3]
Jan. 27 Introduction to ferns (Chap. 13, p. 246-253; Chap.11)
Week 4
Jan. 30 1st Midterm Exam
Feb. 1 Leaf morphology; Leptosporangia; soral types (Chap. 4, p. 53-55; Chap. 13, p. 253-
265);
Feb. 2 Lab Quiz #1; Eusporangiate ferns (Chap. 12) [Lab 4]
Feb. 3 Stelar anatomy and evolution (Chap. 3, p. 42-47; Chap. 13, p. 265-273)
Week 5
Feb. 6 Sexual development of fern gametophytes; apogamy & apospory (Chap. 2, p. 15-19;
Chap. 13, p. 288-297); embryogeny (Chap. 6)
Feb. 8 General gymnosperm reproduction and classification (Chap. 14); ovules, seeds,
integuments (Chap. 14, p. 329-334; Chap. 15, p. 345-355); shoot dimorphism;
cone structure (Chap. 17, p. 421-432)
Feb. 9 Filicales, Marsileales, Salviniales (Chap. 13, p. 245-265, 305-319) [Lab 5]
Feb. 10 Shoot dimorphism; cone structure (Chap 17, p. 421-432)
Week 6
Feb. 13 Compound strobili (Chap. 17, p. 421- 432; Chap. 18)
Feb. 15 Ovuliferous scale and conifer reproduction (Chap. 17, p. 426-450)
Feb. 16 Cycadales and Ginkgo (Chap. 15, p. 345-351; 357-381; Chap. 16); Coniferales Part
1[Lab 6]
Feb. 17 Pinus phenology and embryology (Chap. 17, p. 432-448); Gnetophytes (Chap. 18)
Week 7
Feb. 20 HOLIDAY (Washington’s Birthday Observed)
Feb. 22 2nd Midterm Exam
Feb. 23 Lab Quiz #2; Coniferales continued (Chap. 17, p. 401-421; 432-450) [Lab 7]
Feb. 24 Gnetophytes; Introduction to angiosperms (Chap. 18, Chap. 15); angiosperm
characteristics and origin (Chap. 15, p. 345-357; Chap. 19)
Week 8
Feb. 27 Angiosperm reproduction - flower, anther and pollen development (Chap. 20, p. 563-
574, 588- 593)
Mar. 1 Angiosperm reproduction - embryo sac development,(Chap. 20, p. 574-588)
Mar. 2 Gnetophytes (Chap. 18); Angiosperms: wood anatomy, floral development, stamens
and pollen (Chap. 19, p. 511-518, 523-550; Chap. 20, p. 563-574) [Lab 8]
Mar. 3 Angiosperm pollination, fertilization, embryogenesis and endosperm development
(Chap. 20, , 588-593; 593-612)
Week 9
Mar. 6 Floral evolution; origin of second integument (Chap. 19, p. 533-547; Chap. 15, p. 351-
357)
Mar. 8 Fruits, seeds
Mar. 9 Ovules, embryo sac development, pollination, embryogenesis, fruits and seeds (Chap.
19, p. 522-555; Chap. 20, p. 563-574) [Lab 9]
Mar. 10 Angiosperm fossil record, phylogeny (Chap. 19, p. 533-545)
Mar. 11 Optional field trip: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
Week 10
Mar. 13 Fertilization; parthenocarpy; apomixis,
Mar. 15 Floral developmental genetics
Mar. 16 Lab final, clean-up [Lab 10]
Mar. 17 [Classes end] Summary, review
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FINAL EXAM: 6:00-8:00 pm; Tues, March 21, 2017; 140 Physics (EXAM CODE “J”)
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PLB116Syllabus.2017