It was only week two of the new academic term but that didn’t stop Dr M launching his new students on the University of Reading twin MSc’s Plant Diversity and SISS into an eXtreme botanical quiz!
If you missed it stop now and go check it out here, then come back and check below for the answers!
The answers:
1. Dangly ball-like fruit of London Plane, Platanus x hispanica.
2. The dehisced (split) pods of a member of Fabaceae (Meadow Vetchling, Lathyrus pratensis).
3. The fruits of a monocot, 6 perianth segments plus capsule makes this a rush (Juncaceae).
4. Cone and leaves of the deciduous conifer – Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum).
5. The fruit (caryopsis) of Timothy Grass (Phleum pratense) enclosed by the glume with double horn-like awns.
6. Inflorescense with ripening capsules of Buddleia showing the persistent style characteristic of Scrophulariaceae.
7. Fruits of a monocot, here are utricles with a beak which makes this a sedge, Carex sp.
8. Large complex fruit of Magnolia sp.
9. Capitula of Asteraceae with elaborately decorated phyllaries (Knapweed, Centaurea nigra).
10. Leaf and stem with sheathing stipule (known as the ochrea) a feature of Polygonaceae (this is the garden plant Persicaria amplexicaule).
11. Opposite leaves and fruit a samara (like a helicopter!) so it has to be Acer (here the compound leaves make this Acer negundo).
12. Bristly fruits of Wild carrot, Daucus carota, characteristic mericarps of Apiaceae (also smell of carrot when crushed).
13. Acorn cups (cupules – a feature of the family Fagaceae) this is Turkey Oak, Quercus cerris with characteristic whiskers.
14. Young female catkins of Alder, Alnus.
15. Leaf-like stipules of Dog Rose, Rosa canina (Rosaceae).
Dr M says: Hope you all had fun with this eXtreme botanical quiz, there’s plenty more where that came from, check back regularly!
October 17, 2015
