ENROL NOW

Plant Taxonomy (Short Course)

Course CodeSGH9
Fee CodeSG
Duration (approx)20 hours
QualificationCertificate of Completion

Something that EVERYONE who works with plants should study.

It covers things colleagues have complained about being neglected in most horticulture and agriculture courses for decades. These are things that used to be in most certificates, diplomas and degrees but no longer. This is knowledge that could be lost to the industry if younger generations don't make an effort to learn it.

Knowing what we teach here will help you make a lot more sense of plant names.

Lesson Structure

There are 5 lessons in this course:

  1. INTRODUCTION - The Why and How of Plant Names
    • Why Name Plants?
    • Scientific vs. Vernacular Names
    • History
    • John Ray
    • Linnaeus
    • Ranks and Language
    • Ranks of Classification - KPCOFGS
    • Latin Names
    • Gardener’s Ranks
    • International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
    • The Basic Ideas
    • a) Valid publication
    • b) The type method
    • c) Aim of the principle of priority
    • d) Exceptions to the principle of priority
    • Legitimate Naming
    • Recent Changes to the Code
    • International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
    • Taxonomic Name Resolution Service
    • International Plant Names Index
    • The Rise of Molecular Data
    • The Impact of Molecular Data
  2. NAMING THE BITS - Plant Anatomy
    • Describing a Plant for the First Time, or “Naming the Bits”
    • Habit
    • Stems
    • Hairs
    • Flowers
    • Botanical Characteristics of Dianthus
    • Fruits
    • Indehiscent
    • Schizocarpic
    • Dehiscent
    • A Key to the Main Types of Fruits
    • Roots
  3. IDENTIFICATION TOOLS
  4. Using Resources
    • Collecting and Preserving a Plant
    • Fresh Material
    • Herbarium Specimens
    • Photographs
    • The Problem of Colour
    • The Law Relating to Plant Collecting
    • Describing a Plant on Paper
    • The Equipment You Need
    • DNA Bar-coding
    • Floral Formulae
    • Floral Diagrams
    • Keys
    • Making a Key
    • Using a Key
    • When all this fails, what do you do?
    • Botanic Gardens
    • Nurseries
  5. PLANT FAMILIES - The Family Life of Plants
    • What Genera are in What Family?
    • Monocotyledons
    • Dicotyledons
    • Major Families
    • Anthophyta
    • Apiaceae (= Umbelliferae)
    • Araceae
    • Asteraceae (= Compositae)
    • Brassicaceae (= Crucifereae)
    • Bromeliaceae
    • Cucurbitaceae
    • Fabaceae (= Leguminosae or Papillionaceae)
    • Gesneriaceae
    • Lamiaceae (= Labiatae)
    • Liliaceae
    • Myrtaceae
    • Orchidaceae
    • Poaceae (= Graminae)
    • Other Significant Plant Phyla
    • Coniferophyta
    • Monilophyta

Self Paced and Automated Online Study

This is different to our other 100 hour courses; being not only shorter and with a lower fee, but with the assessments at the end of each lesson being fully automated.

  • At the end of each lesson, you are given a short interactive test to undertake, to provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. 
  • You have access to a help desk for support from a horticulture tutor if you need it in any point in your studies.
  • When you finish the final lesson, you are given a more thorough automated test or examination. If you achieve an overall pass; in this final online test; you are provided with an electronic copy of a  'Certificate of Completion', with your name and the course name and date, to print and store electronically in your permanent records.
 

 

 

 

Who Will Benefit From This Course?

Anyone working with plants: Nursery staff, nursery owners, garden centre personnel, those studying horticulturebut still  lack this fundamental knowledge. Also relevant to plant enthusiasts.