ENVR06054 2019 Irish Wildflower Identification

Understand how to classify wild flowering plant families using characteristic morphological features

Prepare dried specimens of 100 flowering plants in a herbarium

Prepare a catalogue of the plants in the herbarium, including the scientific name (binomial), the common name, the family to which each belongs and the location where and the date on which each specimen was collected.

Upload the information on the collected plants onto to a spreadsheet and list families and the species within in alphabetical order.

Understand how to use identification keys for flowering plants

Explore the factors which may influence plant distribution within Irish habitats

Course participants will be taught how to photograph, collect, preserve plants as dried specimens in a herbarium, how to catalogue into files, and upload species and common names according to family in alphabetical order on an Excel spreadsheet. By undertaking these tasks the course participants will learn the names of the plants, the families to which they belong, their natural habitats, and the life cycle morphological changes (flowering times, seed types nad dispersal) occurring over the growing season.

Workshops will be used to demonstrate preservation techniques and cataloguing as herbarium specimens, assist participants in identifying the names of plants, demonstrate the morphological features of plants, the use of plant identification keys and accessing data bases.

Students will be required to upload the names of their catalogued plants onto a spreadsheet in alphabetical order of families and in turn by species name within families. The specimens will be assigned a number from 1-100 in this alphabetical order. In the final exam the student will present their portfolio of dried plant specimens and/or photographs and will be required to identify the common and/or scientific names of a random selection of these specimens or as fresh specimens (approx. 30 plants). A percentage mark will be awarded to reflect the percentage of the plants the participant identified. To obtain a pass, the student must achieve at least 40%.

Repeat assessment will consist of a repeat final exam as outlined above. Marks cannot be accumulated over a number of assessments.

Participants will be allowed to upgrade their marks by repeat examination on payment of an appropriate fee.

Know where to find common plants and how to avoid collecting rare species

Prepare plants or plant parts as herbarium specimens

Photograph plants and plant parts

Identify plants by their common and scientific names

Identify the essential features of flower structures and vegetative parts

Use keys for identifying plants to genus and species

List the general features of plant families

Know the flowering times of plants

Know at least one feature of each plant in terms of morphology, medicinal, culinary or traditional use, folklore, distinctive odour, habitat, life cycle features, etc