UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
| LECTURE | TOPIC |
| 1, 2 | What is a plant? Features of plants, plant classification systems. |
| Green Algae: distinguishing features, habitats, uses, major groups, structural diversity (viz. examples of unicells to seaweeds), types of syngamy, life cycles of Ulva, Derbesia, Caulerpa. | |
| 3 | The conquest of the land: problems associated with this transition. The first land plants, e.g. Rhynia. The engima of Psilotum. |
| 4, 5 | Bryophytes: mosses & liverworts (hornworts excluded) - morphology, life cycles. Diversity of spore dispersal mechanisms. |
| 6, 7 | Pteridophytes: ferns, Lycopodium & Selaginella - life cycles, morphology. Reference to dominance of this group in the Carboniferous period. |
| 8 | Evolution of the seed habit: including importance of heterospory and endospory. |
| 9 | Gymnosperms: cycad & conifer morphology & reproduction. |
| 10 | Angiosperms: their unique attributes. Monocot/dicot differences. Trends in
flower structure. |
Raven, P.M. et.
al (2005) Biology of Plants W H Freeman
Alternatives:
Bell, P.R. (1982).
Green plants: their origin and diversity.
Cambridge Univ. Press.
Bold, H.C., La Clarie, J.W. (1987).
The Plant Kingdom. Prentice-Hall,
Inc.
Kaufman, P.B. (1989). Plants: their biology and importance.
Harper & Row Publisher.
Moore, R. et.
al. (1995). Botany Vol. 2 Plant
Diversity. Wm. C. Brown Publ.
FURTHER READING
Chapan, A.R.O. (1987). Functional diversity of plants in the sea and on land.
Jones & Bartlett Publ. Inc.
Ingold, C.T. (1974). Spore liberation in Cryptogams. Oxford University Press.
(OUT OF PRINT)
Richardson, D.H.S. (1981). The biology of mosses. Blackwell Sci. Publ.
Sze, P. (1986). A biology of the algae. Wm. C. Brown. Publ.
Thomas, B. (1981). The evolution of plants and flowers. Peter Lowe. (OUT OF PRINT)
2005-6-2