Course Description
This course, an introduction to botanical illustration, includes instruction in plant morphology and associated terminology. Students sharpen their observation skills by examining plants, macroscopically and microscopically, via hands-on drawing exercises with live material. By creating their own illustrations, students also learn how to fully appreciate and properly evaluate published illustrations.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
A special project requiring complete reconstruction and
references for a plant species represented by a pressed herbarium
specimen supplemented by pickled flowers (preserved in ethanol).
Athena Title
BOT ILLUS
Undergraduate Prerequisite
(BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1103L) or (BIOL 1104 and BIOL 1104L) or BIOL 1108-1108L or PBIO 1210 or PBIO 1220 or permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
(BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1103L) or (BIOL 1104 and BIOL 1104L) or BIOL 1108-1108L or PBIO 1210 or PBIO 1220 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is an opportunity for students to learn the basics of botanical illustration and plant morphology. The emphasis is on dissection and morphology of flowering plants in the context of producing scientifically accurate representations via hands-on laboratory exercises with live material. Several field trips also familiarize students with the aesthetics of plants growing in nature. Students also gain expertise with terminology/descriptions and faculty interpreting illustrations in appropriate references.
Topical Outline
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary. Lectures 1-2: Overview and history of botanical illustration Lectures 3-4: Leaves—structure and terminology Lectures 5-8: Leaves—venation and dentition Lectures 9-12: Stems —habit, anatomy and terminology Lectures 13-20: Flowers—basic structure and terminology Lectures 21-25: Flowers —morphology, floral diagrams, floral formulas Lectures 26-27: Evaluating illustrations; reference sources Lectures 28-32: Leaves and flowers in perspective Labs 1-3: Leaves –venation and dentition Lab 4: Field trip – Campus tree walk Lab 5: Stems – anatomy Labs 6-7: Flowers – basic dissection Lab 8: Field trip – Botanical Garden Labs 9-10: Flowers – floral floorplans, complex longitudinal sections Lab 11: Field trip – Plant Biology Greenhouse Labs12-13: Habit drawings from live specimens Lab 14: Habit drawing from herbarium specimen