I. OPEN AREA WITHIN OE

Phylum Pterophyta: Ferns

Define the following terms:

monoecious

rhizomes

frond

sorus

Boston/Sword fern (Nephrolepis biserrata; in front of OE 163/164)

•tropical fern

•not native to Boston

•Why is the species name biserrata? How is this related to its common name?

•How are the sori arranged?

Marsh fern(Thelpteris palustris; in front of OE 163/164)

•delicate and soft fronds produced from a dense

web of rhizomes

•Why is it called the marsh fern?

•How are the sori arranged?

Wart fern (Microsorum scolopendria; in front of OE 165)

native to southeast Asia

•Why is it called the wart fern?

•How are the sori arranged?

•How do they compare in size to the Boston and Marsh ferns?

II. BETWEEN OE & THE WERTHEIM CONSERVATORY

Horsetail (Equisetum )

• a.k.a. scouring rush

• name arose from the Latin – equus = horse– seta = bristle

• grow up to ~20 feet

• primarily stem

• tiny scale-like leaves at jointed nodes on the stem

• cell walls made of silica– used to clean pots

strobilus

Sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera)

• Evergreen–What kind of leaf arrangement does it have?

• Salt and water tolerant

• Dioecious–female tree bears fruit–Can you tell whether your tree is female or male?

• Applications–fruit can be eaten or used to make jelly–wood is boiled to make red dye in West Indies–gum from bark is used to treat throat ailments–roots are used to treat dysentery

Encephalartos ferox • cycad

• native to Southeast Africa (Mozambique)

– stems are used as a source of food

• dioecious

• Is this plant an angiosperm or gymnosperm? How can you tell?

• Why are cycads referred to as living fossils?

Oak leaf fern (Drynaria quercifolia)

• Evergreen (what does that mean?)

• Epiphytic (what does that mean?)

• Used in Chinese medicine to heal

damaged

bones and ligaments

genus Drynaria = mender of shattered

bones in Chinese

What is the function of the Nest leaves?

Identify the two leaf types•Nest leaves (brown)•Fertile fronds

Resurrection fern (Polypodium polypodioides)

Epiphyte - but what does it mean?

What plant is it on?

Locate the sori

Why is it called a resurrection fern?

Lichens

• Lichens - symbiotic associations between what two organisms?

• 3 types:1. crustose

• grows close to substrate2. foliose

• adhere to substrate in sheets3. fructiose

• grow away from substrate with erect stalks

• What type is present on the tree outside WC?

Foliose Lichen

III. WERTHEIM CONSERVATORY

Giant/King Fern (Angiopteris)

• native to Southeast Asia

• primitive fern

• Large erect woody rhizome (up to 1m in height and width)

• fronds >6m in length

Mosses & Liverworts

Where are these plants normally found?

How do these plants differ structurally from ferns? gymnosperms? angiosperms?

Peacock fern (Selaginella uncinata)

Native to China

What color is it?

Where is it mostly found?

– How does its color relate to the environment in which it is found?

Medinilla myriantha

• Malaysian orchid

– Native to the Phillipines

• semi-epiphytic

• pink flowers produced throughout the summer

and spring

• can grow up to 6 feet tall

Pitcher plant (Nepenthes mirabilis)

• Tropical

• Carnivorous– What type of organisms do you think it feeds on?

• Pitcher– deep cavity containing liquid = pitfall trap– organisms attracted to the pitcher by color or nectar

bribes

Vanilla Orchid (Vanilla planifolia)

• climbing orchid/vine

• has a sweet scent

• opens in the morning and closes at night, never to open again

• used by the Aztecs for its flavoring qualities

Chocolate tree (Theobroma cacao)

• This is where chocolate comes from!!!• Native to South America, especially the

Andes• Theobroma means “Food of the Gods”• So precious the seeds were used as

currency• Brought to Europe by Christopher

Columbus

• Used for medicinal purposes•As a diuretic•As an emolient (good for dry skin)•Causes release of endorphins and serotonin---> Feels good

• Its flowers are pollinated by midges (tiny flies)

West Indian tree fern (Cyathea arborea)

It’s an exotic – Native to the West Indies

How is the trunk different from other plants that you’ve seen?

–Is it really a trunk?

Maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillis-veneris)

• Used to make drinks and for medicinal purposes

• Mostly found on rocks

• Is it similar or different in structures to other ferns?

How?

Brake fern (Pteris tripartita)

Why is it called tripartita?

It’s an exotic –Native to Africa, Indonesia and Marquesas

IV. FROM WERTHEIM TO THE PRESERVE

Bald cypress (Taxodium distictium)

pneumatophores

• The bald cypress is a deciduous conifer. • What does this mean?

• Trees make a dome– oldest tree in middle and younger shorter trees on periphery

Where on the tree are the male cones?

What about the female cones?

Why are they positioned as such?

What are the function of pneumatophores?

Fig tree (Ficus)

• Can be either invasive/native

• Ficus aurea is the native species of Florida = Florida Strangler Fig

– Grows like a vine on a host tree and as it grows its aerial roots eventually kills (strangles) the host tree

• Waxy leaves retain moisture

• Sacred in certain religions/culture– Islam, East Asia and Buddhism

Royal Poinciana (Delonix rejia)

• Native to Madagascar– grow up to 40 feet tall– blooms in the summer for 4-8 weeks

• It’s leguminous. What does this mean?

• Why do you think this tree is called the flamboyant tree?

Staghorn Fern (Platycerium holtummii)

• Native to jungles in Africa, Madagascar, Australia and Asia

• Epiphytic

• Doesn’t need soil – get nutrition from the air

Cardboard cycad (Zamia furfuracea)

Male Cone

• Native to Mexico

• Dioecious

• Pollinated by beetles

• Fruit is poisonous if ingested• causes liver and kidney failure

Female Cone

Cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto)

strangler

• Florida’s state tree

• Native to the US, Cuba and the Bahamas

• Can grow in all types of conditions– extremely salt-tolerant

• terminal bud was eaten by Native Americans in heart of palm salad

– doing this kills the tree

• Seminole Indians of Florida use the fronds to create chickee huts

West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)

• Found in South Florida and the Caribbean

• It is semi-deciduous. What does this mean?

• These trees can get up to 75 feet tall

and usually form canopies.

• In what field is the product of this tree used?

• What mechanism do the seeds use for dispersal?

Dade County slash pine (Pinus elliotti var. densa)

Male Cones

Female Cone

• Native to Florida

• Pollinated by wind• female cone develops from the male cone

• These trees are fire-dependent. Why?

• What happens if they are not burnt?

• What is the terminal bud? What does this signify?

• Where on the tree are the male cones? What about the female cones? Which are larger?

• What mechanism do the seeds use for dispersal?

Gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba)

• It’s bark can cause skin irritation–Has been used as an antidote to poisonwood reaction–Thought to be able to cure gout

• Notice the bark of this tree–What color is it?

•What is the benefit of having a bark that color?–What texture is it?

• Why do you think it is called the tourist tree?