Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach

The science of plant systematics. Methods and principles of biological systematics. What is a phylogeny? Describing evolution. Constructing a classification. Classification and system in flowering plants: historical background. Taxonomic evidence: structural and biochemical characters. Morphology. Pollination biology. Inflorescences, fruits, and seeds. Anatomy. Embryology. Chromosomes. Polynology. Secondary plant compounds. Proteins. Molecular systematics. Plant genomes. The evolution of plant diversity. Speciation. Species concepts. An overview of green plant phylogeny. Lycophytes, ferns and their allies, and extant gymnosperms. Phylogenetic relationships of angiosperms. Botanical nomenclature. Specimen preparation and identification.