What Are the 35 Native Plants You Need for Your Botany Project?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a botany project requiring participants to identify 35 native plants in Missouri, including trees and shrubs. Participants seek advice on how to approach the project, including sourcing plants and understanding the definition of "native species." The conversation touches on both practical and conceptual aspects of botany.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions the requirement to find native plants and discusses the advice given by the Department of Conservation to visit parks for collection.
  • Another participant questions which Department of Conservation is being referenced.
  • A suggestion is made to use an online resource for identifying native plants in Missouri.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of identifying plants that are not originally from elsewhere, noting that landscaped areas may contain foreign species.
  • There is a discussion about the definition of "native species," with one participant questioning whether it refers strictly to political boundaries or includes ecological sub-biomes.
  • Participants share various resources, including books and websites, that may assist in identifying native plants.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the project's requirements and plans to ask their teacher for clarification.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definition of "native species" and whether the project should focus solely on species within Missouri's political boundaries or consider ecological sub-biomes as well. The discussion remains unresolved regarding these definitions and the implications for the project.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the specific criteria for identifying native species and the potential influence of ecological factors on plant distribution in Missouri.

Mr. College
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Hi,

I live in Missouri I'm currently in a Botany class that has a project that requires us(me and my lab partner) to find 35 Missouri native plants, tree's, shrubs, etc. Any helpful advice on how to go about this would be appreciated. Department of conservation said go to parks and pick tree's and flowers and stuff and I also ordered this book which looks pretty good.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591931568/?tag=pfamazon01-20

There's also a book by Don Kurz(Trees of Missouri) which is pretty good too, but that one doesn't have the glossy photos Trees Of Missouri Field guide has.

Project isn't due till November, 21st, but fall is coming up and we need bark, leaves, terminal bud, bud, etc, tons of part with each sample. Although the "A" project she showed us didn't have all these. She's one of those teachers who talks real strict but is actually a smoothy when it comes grading time. Also if I turn it in like 2 weeks early then me and my partner get something like 20 points extra credit ---------> woot.

*Coming later* -- The text explanation of the assignment, for further explanation in her words.
 
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Mr. College said:
Department of conservation said go to parks and pick tree's and flowers and stuff and I also ordered this book which looks pretty good.

Which department of conservation?
 
The one in Missouri, where I live of course
 
Would http://www.missouriplants.com/Whiteopp/Species_list.html help? :smile:
 
What your prof wants is for you to find plants that are not originally from somewhere else.

Almost anything a landscaped area like a campus or a park is foreign. Plants you know as weeds usually are foreign species as well. Your best bet is to go to an area that was let fallow and undisturbed for quite a while. Years. Also, most annuals will die off at first frost, but shrubs and trees will hang onto leaves longer.

To be able to identify your plant, you need several leaves on a branch for woody plants, not a compund leaf (black walnut has a compund leaf). And you will need at least a flower or seed pod for annuals. This is so you can figure out what plant you found.

All of these are organized so non-botanists can use them easily, lotsa pictures, low cost, and libraries have them:

For trees: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507606/?tag=pfamazon01-20

For wildflowers - and lots of other things - plus it has an iPhone app:
http://www.audubonguides.com/home.html
 
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I would like to pose a question myself regarding your project. What exactly is a "native species" in the scientific sense?. Obviously, artificial state boundaries have no scientific relevance. The state of Missouri lies at the western edge of the Eastern Temperate Forest biome which extends from Missouri to the Atlantic coast and from the Gulf coast to Canada. I don't think a native plant of Maine would necessarily be considered a native plant of Missouri because it's from the same biome. Sub-biomes are recognized and Missouri seems to lie in at least two. Northern Missouri is very similar to Iowa while southwestern Missouri is very similar to northwestern Arkansas. The two areas are quite different from each other. The north is flat and merges into the natural eastern prairie region that extends from parts of Indiana to the Great Plains. (Very little of this region remains in its natural state because of farming and ranching.) The south is dominated by the hilly and forested Ozark Plateau which extends into Arkansas. More native species of this sub-biome probably survive here. The Mississippi Valley probably represents a third sub-biome.

My question: Is the object of this project to just find "native species" within the political boundaries of the state, or to understand "native species" in terms of the sub-biomes which happen to lie partially in the state? The Ozark Plateau, which straddles two states, is a biologically distinct and interesting region and should be studied in its own right. In other words, maybe the the proper scientific question should be the native species of the Ozark region and the native species of the open woodland-prairie or eastern prairie sub-biome..

dendro.cnre.vt.edu/Forsite/tdfbiome.htm

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8oDAAg&usg=AFQjCNGCDc3s-R_2PPBkoRvvC_mADi1i4Q

(Only the google url seems to work for this).
 
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I'll be sure to relay that question to my teacher.
 
jim mcnamara said:
What your prof wants is for you to find plants that are not originally from somewhere else.

Almost anything a landscaped area like a campus or a park is foreign. Plants you know as weeds usually are foreign species as well. Your best bet is to go to an area that was let fallow and undisturbed for quite a while. Years. Also, most annuals will die off at first frost, but shrubs and trees will hang onto leaves longer.

To be able to identify your plant, you need several leaves on a branch for woody plants, not a compund leaf (black walnut has a compund leaf). And you will need at least a flower or seed pod for annuals. This is so you can figure out what plant you found.

All of these are organized so non-botanists can use them easily, lotsa pictures, low cost, and libraries have them:

For trees: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394507606/?tag=pfamazon01-20

For wildflowers - and lots of other things - plus it has an iPhone app:
http://www.audubonguides.com/home.html

Thanks I bought this book called Native Trees of Missouri by Stan Tekitijjj...something like that
 
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  • #10
SW VandeCarr said:
I would like to pose a question myself regarding your project. What exactly is a "native species" in the scientific sense?. Obviously, artificial state boundaries have no scientific relevance. The state of Missouri lies at the western edge of the Eastern Temperate Forest biome which extends from Missouri to the Atlantic coast and from the Gulf coast to Canada. I don't think a native plant of Maine would necessarily be considered a native plant of Missouri because it's from the same biome. Sub-biomes are recognized and Missouri seems to lie in at least two. Northern Missouri is very similar to Iowa while southwestern Missouri is very similar to northwestern Arkansas. The two areas are quite different from each other. The north is flat and merges into the natural eastern prairie region that extends from parts of Indiana to the Great Plains. (Very little of this region remains in its natural state because of farming and ranching.) The south is dominated by the hilly and forested Ozark Plateau which extends into Arkansas. More native species of this sub-biome probably survive here. The Mississippi Valley probably represents a third sub-biome.

My question: Is the object of this project to just find "native species" within the political boundaries of the state, or to understand "native species" in terms of the sub-biomes which happen to lie partially in the state? The Ozark Plateau, which straddles two states, is a biologically distinct and interesting region and should be studied in its own right. In other words, maybe the the proper scientific question should be the native species of the Ozark region and the native species of the open woodland-prairie or eastern prairie sub-biome..

dendro.cnre.vt.edu/Forsite/tdfbiome.htm

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...8oDAAg&usg=AFQjCNGCDc3s-R_2PPBkoRvvC_mADi1i4Q

(Only the google url seems to work for this).


I guess what were learning is how to ID and key out plants, even though I'll probably never do this again. 1. Cause I hate Botany 2. This project is the most boring thing I've ever done
 
  • #11
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87057833@N08/

Anybody know what plant species these are? They are mostly tree's and some shrub's from eastern Jackson County, Missouri.
 
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