Botany in a Day

Mike Jensen, Extension Agent

Who knew that a coleus is a member of the mint family and how to tell?  It's the square stem and the strong scent that identifies them.  Mike Jensen was our instructor for a quick lesson in botany and plant identification.  He brought samples to test our ability to identify plants.  We were better at it after the lesson than before.

Dee Dee also had some lovely asiatic lilies for us to pull apart to examine their internal structure. Fortunately, there were faded flowers for destruction. Flowering and seed bearing plants were the main topic of discussion and they make up the vast majority of plants on the earth.

Moddie and Sharon Hiding in the Lillies

Indentify This!

 



 

Honestly, fellow gardeners, in spite of Mikes's best efforts, this subject made my eyes glaze over, so here are a few resources if you are a Botany enthusiast:
Monocot vs Dicot
How to Identify a Tree
The Evolution of Plants