Systematics of Angiosperms

By Prof. M. B. Siddiqui, Gausiya Bashri | Aligarh Muslim University

Learners enrolled: 328 | Exam registration: 54

ABOUT THE COURSE:

Angiosperms, conjointly referred to as flowering plants are the biggest and most varied cluster at intervals in the kingdom Plantae. This course “Systematics of Angiosperms” intends to update and deepen the participant’s knowledge in the basics of systematics and skills to collect, preserve, and identify herbarium specimens, rules of nomenclature, and different types of classification. This course also gives knowledge of the role of botanic gardens, and national and regional centers involved in plant explorations and conservation. Lastly, participants become familiar with the flora of their area by studying important families of angiosperms with special emphasis on cultivated representatives and their importance.
This course is designed for the B.Sc. Botany students but equally beneficial to the students studying conservation biology, environmental science, agricultural science, or any other subject where plants are important will also find it to be interesting. It offers a strong basis for pursuing higher education in these fields and professions in adjacent fields.
On completion of the course, the participants become familiar with the characteristics and diagnostic traits of major groups of angiosperms. They can be able to apply their knowledge in research, conservation biology, as well as in other societal occupations.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Students studying botany will find this course to be very beneficial, but students studying environmental science, agricultural science, or any other subject where plants are important will also find it to be interesting. It offers a strong basis for pursuing higher education in these fields and professions in adjacent fields.

PREREQUISITES: 12th

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Botany
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	20 Jan 2025
End Date :	11 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends :	03 Feb 2025
Exam Registration Ends :	28 Feb 2025
Exam Date :	25 Apr 2025 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Introduction to Systematics of Angiosperms

1. Aims and components of systematics (identification, classification, and Nomenclature),

2. Taxonomic hierarchy (taxonomic categories, taxonomic groups, concepts of species).

3. Different tools for plant identification

Week 2: Plant Identification

1. Taxonomic Keys: Single access and Multi-access.

2. Documentation: Flora, E-flora; Monographs, Journals

3. Herbaria and herbarium techniques: methods of plant collections and documentation, preparation, and preservation of herbarium specimens

4. Functions and importance of herbarium specimens, Virtual herbarium; major herbaria of the world and India

Week 3: Field inventory:

1. Botanic Gardens: Role of Botanical Gardens in taxonomic studies.

2. Major botanical gardens of the world and India.

3. Botanical Survey of India: Objectives and significant contributions.

Week 4: Plant Nomenclature
1. Principles and rules of the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN) for algae, fungi, and plants
2. Botanical nomenclature: naming plants; scientific vs vernacular names,
3. Binomial nomenclature, nomenclature terminology
4. Typification, nomenclatural types,
5. ranks, author citation, valid publication, priority of publications,
6. name changes, synonyms (homonyms, basionyms), conservation and rejection of names

Week 5: Plant Classification

1. Bentham and Hooker system
2. Engler and Prantl system

Week 6: Plant Classification and Evidences in Taxonomy
1. Takhtajan system
2. Evidence from palynology, cytology, phytochemistry, embryology, morphology, anatomy, and molecular data.

Week 7: Morphology of Angiosperms

Week 8: Systematic study and economic importance of Angiosperm Families of Dicots-I

1. Ranunculaceae,

2. Papaveraceae,

3. Malvaceae

4. Rutaceae,

5. fabaceae

Week 9: Systematic study and economic importance of Angiosperm Families of Dicots-II
1. Cucurbitaceae
2. Apiaceae,
3. Asteraceae
4. Apocynaceae
5. Asclepiadaceae

Week 10: Systematic study and economic importance of Angiosperm Families of Dicots-III
1. Convolvulaceae
2. Solanaceae
3. Acanthaceae,
4. Lamiaceae
5. Amaranthaceae

Week 11: Systematic study and Economic Importance of Angiosperm families of Dicot and Monocot-I
1. Euphorbiaceae
2. Zingiberaceae,
3. Amaryllidaceae and
4. Liliaceae
5. Commelinaceae

Week 12: Systematic study and economic importance Angiosperm families of Monocot-II

1. Arecaceae,

2. Pandanaceae

3. Cyperaceae

4. Poaceae

Books and references

1. Angiosperm Taxonomy by Lawrance, G.H.M. (1951). The Macmillan Compnay, New York, 823pp.

2. Angiosperm Taxonomy by Pandey, B.P. (1999). S. Chand and Company, Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 600pp.

3. Angiosperm Taxonomy by Singh, V. and Jain, D.K. (1981). Deep and Deep Publications, 489 pp.

4. An Introduction to Taxonomy of Angiosperms by Shukla, P. and Misra, S.C. (1991). Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

Instructor bio

Prof. M. B. Siddiqui

Aligarh Muslim University

Prof M. B. Siddiqui is currently chairperson of the Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. He joined Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh in 1979 as a B.Sc. (Hons.) student and completed his education from B.Sc. onwards up to a Ph.D. from the same University. The field of specialization and teaching interest is in Plant taxonomy but switch over to Allelopathy (Environmental Botany) and Plant anatomy. Dr Siddiqui produced nine Ph. Ds and two M. Phils in the field of Plant taxonomy and ethnobotany, Allelopathy and Plant anatomy and also published more than 110 papers in various journals of National and International repute, some of them are in Fitoterapia ( Italy) Economic Botany (USA), Advances in plant sciences (Pak), African Journal Agricultural Research , Hamdard Medicus (Pak), Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences (Africa) , Journal Agricultural Extenson & Rural Development (Africa), Fascicula Biologie Tom (Romania), Thai Journal of Agricultural Science (Thailand), Acta Botanica Brasilica (Brazil), Protoplasma (Springer Journal)., Bio medical research, Applied soil research(Elesvier Journal) Protoplasma, Phyton, Plant protection, Ecology and management and Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences etc. Apart from this he also published 6 monographs and a book from Lambert Academic Publishing Company, Germany and Elsewhere publication respectively as well as 6 popular articles in Science Reporter CSIR Publication, New Delhi . He is a member of various scientific societies. He delivered 16 lectures & invited talks and also chaired 15 scientific sessions at various national and international conferences.

Gausiya Bashri

Dr. Gausiya Bashri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. The field of specialization is Plant Physiology and Ecology and teaching interests are Taxonomy, Ecology, and Anatomy of Plants. The major area of research includes plant growth regulators and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms in plants. She has worked on various plant physiological aspects like estimation of oxidative biomarkers, antioxidants, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll fluorescence, and nitrogen metabolism in response to heavy metal, and other abiotic stresses. Dr. Bashri has published her research work in different international journals with good impact factors like Plos One, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, Plant Growth Regulation (Springer), Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry (Elsevier) and Chemistry and Ecology (Taylor and Francis). She has also published ten book chapters in edited books. Dr. Bashri is a regular reviewer of journals like Toxicology Research (Wiley), Plos One, Frontiers in Agronomy, Journal of King Saud University – Science, etc.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: April 25, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of INI and AMU .

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- INI team

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