AY Honors/Flowers - Advanced/Answer Key

1. Have the Flower Honor.

For tips and instruction see Flowers.

2. Photograph, collect pictures of or sketch 75 species of flowers. Make a scrapbook from these and correctly label each flower.

Rather than finding a specimen and comparing it to thousands of pictures in a Field Guide, the candidate for the Flowers - Advanced honor will need a more systematic approach to field identification if there is ever to be any hope in finding 75 species. The most important tool to the budding botanist is a key, which is a series of questions, the answers to which are mutually exclusive, and lead to another set of questions. See requirement 4 for more details on using a key.

Once the Pathfinder has a key in hand, it is time to set out in search of wildflowers. The important thing to remember here is that the term wildflowers covers a lot of different plants, not just the ones with showy blossoms. Many flowering plants bloom for only a short time, and luckily, the blossom (though useful) is not the only indicator of its identity. Wildflowers in the context of this honor are any flowering plants that are neither trees nor grass. This excludes ferns (which do not flower) and mushrooms (which are not plants, but rather, are fungi). This definition does include what most people would call "weeds".

In addition to having a good key, the Pathfinder will also need a camera or a sketch pad. Note that this honor does not require the collection of the plants themselves. In fact, this practice is strongly discouraged, as a troop of Pathfinders in search of wildflowers can quickly eliminate them from a heretofore thriving habitat. If the Pathfinder opts to use a camera, remember that there is no requirement for the photographs to be professional-grade prize-winning entries in an international competition.

Even if the Pathfinder is not a good artist, there is still much value in attempting to sketch a plant. Sketching requires attention to the details, and as the Pathfinder spends time recording these details in the form of a sketch, the information will work its way into the memory. Afterwards, the Pathfinder will be able to look at the sketch - however badly drawn it may be - and recall a vivid image of the plant as it really was.

In spite of this, we still recommend that a good key be taken along in the field and that the Pathfinder attempt to identify the plant while there. Otherwise, the key may ask a question that cannot be answered by looking at the sketches (or even photographs) and the Pathfinder will have no recourse other than to return to the field to gather the required information, or give up on identifying that specimen.

3. Give the distinguishing characteristics of the flowers of each of the 12 common plant families.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Flower families

4. Prove ability to use plant keys to genus and species.

Identification keys - also called dichotomous keys - are a series of questions which when answered correctly and in the sequence given reveal the identity of a plant (or animal, or any pretty much other thing that naturalists have studied in the past three of four hundred years).

The questions are designed such that they offer two (sometimes more) mutually exclusive answers. The answer selected when using a key will lead to a different question (or to the identification of a species). Naturalists have developed various schemes for identifying the next set of questions.

Many keys are replete with technical terms which can be very confusing to the novice and it is very important to understand all the terminology used in the question before choosing an answer. Luckily most keys will also have a glossary, and ideally, illustrations as well. If you come to a term you do not understand, look it up until you do understand. A key is very much like directions to an unfamiliar place, and the questions are like road signs. If you make a wrong turn, you will end up in the wrong place.

Some keys are better than others, and some strive to use less technical jargon. If you have difficulty with a key, try a different one. Another thing that distinguishes a good key from a poor one is the number of "road signs" given at a particular juncture. For instance, the key may ask if the plant's fruit is red or blue, and you happen to be examining a plant when at a time when it does not bear fruit. Alternative questions help in situations like this.

It is best to have the key in hand when you are examining a plant, as it may very well ask a question that cannot be answered without close examination (sometimes with a hand lens, or even with a microscope). Read all the options presented by the question, as sometimes they are only subtly different. Choose the answer that fits best. If none of the answers seem to apply to the plant at hand, you may have previously chosen an incorrect answer. Backtrack and double check. When the last question is answered, and if all the questions were answered correctly, then the species will be successfully identified. Good keys will end with a detailed description of the plant. It is important to read this description and compare it to the plant you are keying just to be sure it is the right one.

5. Tell the difference between perfect and imperfect flowers. What is meant by pistillate and staminate flowers? Give an example of monoecious and dioecious plants. Tell the difference between monocotyledons and dicotyledons.

Perfect and Imperfect

The terms perfect and imperfect as pertaining to flowers relates to their sexuality. Flowers are the sexual organs of a plant, and they may contain male (stamens), female (pistils), or both parts. A plant is said to be perfect if it possesses both male and female equivalent parts. If a flower has only male, or only female structures, it is said to be imperfect.

Pistillate and Staminate

A flower is pistillate if it possesses only pistils, which are a plant's female reproductive structures. If it possesses only stamens (the male reproductive structures), it is called staminate.

Monoecious and Dioecious

The Alder is monoecious. Shown here: maturing male flower catkins on right, last year's female catkins on left

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is dioecious: (above) shoot with flowers from male plant; (top right) male flower enlarged, showing stamens with pollen and reduced, sterile stigma; (below) shoot with flowers from female plant; (lower right) female flower enlarged, showing stigma
and reduced, sterile stamens with no pollen

A monoecious plant is one that possesses both male and female unisexual flowers on the same plant; from Greek for "one household". Individuals bearing flowers of both sexes at the same time are called simultaneously monoecious. Individuals that bear only flowers of a single sex at one time are called consecutively monoecious. An example of a monoecious plant is the Alder (a shrub).

A dioecious plant is one in which the male and female unisexual flowers occur on different individuals; from Greek for "two households". An example of a dioecious plant is the Holly.

Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

Grass sprouting on left (a monocot), showing a single cotyledon. Compared to a dicot (right)

Dicotyledons, or "dicots", is a name for a group of flowering plants whose seed typically contains two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. Monocotyledons, or "monocots" have a single embryonic leaf.

6. From the Bible point out two spiritual lessons in which writers used flowers for illustrations.

Jesus spoke of the futility of worry:

Matthew 6:28-30

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? - NIV

The Lord caused Aaron's staff to blossom to show that He had set him up as the high priest.

Exodus 17:8

The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. - NIV

7. Name and describe eight poisonous plants, noting the particular part of the plant that is poisonous.

Posin Hemlock

Poison Hemlock

Binomial Name: Conium spp. Description: Poison Hemlock is a herbaceous biennial plant which grows between 1.5–2.5 m tall, with a smooth green stem, usually spotted or streaked with red or purple on the lower half of the stem. The leaves are finely divided and lacy, overall triangular in shape, up to 50 cm long and 40 cm broad. The flowers are small, white, clustered in umbels up to 10–15 cm across. The plant is often mistaken for fennel, parsley or wild carrot although the characteristic stem hairs of the wild carrots are missing. The Conium root is fleshy, white and often unbranched and can be mistaken for parsnip. When crushed, the leaves and root emit a rank, unpleasant odour often compared to that of parsnips. Where found: Poison Hemlock is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, and to southern Africa, but has been introduced and naturalized in many other areas, including much of Asia, North America and Australia. Poison hemlock is often found on poorly drained soils, particularly near streams, ditches, and other surface water. WARNING: All plant parts are poisonous but once the plant is dried, the poison is greatly reduced, however not gone completely. Hemlock is also known as "poison parsley" or "spotted parsley".

Conium maculatum

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy

Binomial Name: Toxicodendron radicans Description: Poison Ivy is a woody vine that is well known for its ability to produce urushiol, a skin irritant that causes an itching rash for most people. The leaves appear in groups of three with almond-shaped leaflets. The color ranges from light green (usually the younger leaves) to dark green (mature leaves), turning bright red in fall. The leaflets are 3-12 cm long, rarely up to 30 cm. Each leaflet has a few or no teeth along its edge, and the leaf surface is smooth. The stem and vine of poison ivy are brown and woody, and as the plant grows older, it may begin to climb trees, attaching itself firmly to the tree by sending fibers into its bark. Where found: Found normally in wooded areas, especially along edge areas, poison ivy grows vigorously throughout much of North America, including all provinces (but not the territories) and all states except Alaska. It also grows in exposed rocky areas and in open fields and disturbed areas. The plants can grow as a shrub up to about 1.2 meters (4 ft) tall, as a groundcover 10–25 centimeters (4–10 in) high, or as a climbing vine on various supports. Older vines on substantial supports send out lateral branches that may at first be mistaken for tree limbs. Poison ivy is more common now than when Europeans first entered North America. Real estate development adjacent to wild, undeveloped land has created "edge effects", enabling poison ivy to form vast, lush colonies in such places. It is listed as a noxious weed in the U.S. states of Minnesota and Michigan. Poison ivy rarely grows at altitudes above 1,500 meters (5,000 ft). WARNING: All parts of the plant are able to produce urishiol, including the roots, leaves, stems, vines, flowers, and berries. People have been known to contract poison ivy by directly contacting the plant, indirectly contacting the plant (i.e., a pet gets into poison ivy and then rubs against its owner), inhaling the smoke from the burning plants, or ingesting the plant (ingesting poison ivy can be fatal).

Poison ivy

Western Poison Oak

Western Poison Oak

Binomial Name: Toxicodendron diversilobum Description: Western Poison-oak is extremely variable in growth habit and leaf appearance. It grows as a dense shrub in open sunlight, or as a climbing vine in shaded areas. Like Poison ivy, it reproduces by creeping rootstocks or by seeds. The leaves are divided into 3 leaflets, 3½ to 10 centimeters long, with scalloped, toothed, or lobed edges- generally resembling the leaves of a true oak, though the Western Poison-oak leaves will tend to be more glossy. Leaves are generally bright green in the spring (or bronze when first unfolding), yellow-green to reddish in the summer, and bright red or pink in the fall. White flowers form in the spring and, if fertilized, develop into greenish- white or tan berries. Where found: Western Poison-oak or Pacific Poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) is found only on the Pacific Coast of the United States and of Canada. It is extremely common in that region, where it is the predominant species of the genus WARNING: All parts of this plant contain urushiol, which can cause severe dermatitis in some individuals. See the entry under Poison Ivy for more details.

Western Poison Oak showing its fall colors

Atlantic Poison Oak

Atlantic Poison Oak

Binomial Name: Toxicodendron pubescens Description: Atlantic Poison-oak (Toxicodendron pubescens or formerly Rhus pubescens) is an erect shrub that can grow to 1 m (3 ft) tall. The leaves are alternate, with three leaflets on each. The leaflets are usually hairy, and are variable in size and shape, but most often resembling white oak leaves. The leaves are usually 15 cm (6 in) long, turning yellow or orange in autumn. The fruits are small, round, and yellowish or greenish. Where found: Atlantic Poison Oak is native to the Southeastern United States westward to Texas and Oklahoma. WARNING: All parts of this plant contain urushiol, which can cause severe dermatitis in some individuals. See the entry under Poison Ivy for more details.

Atlantic Poison Oak

Poison Sumac

Poison Sumac

Binomial Name: Toxicodendron vernix Description: The head of the tree is round and narrow and the branches slender and rather pendulous; often it is simply a shrub. Small branches and young stems pithy. Has acrid, milky, poisonous juice which turns black on exposure. The compound leaves are pinnate, 25-50 cm long, with 7 - 13 leaflets; the leaflets are 4-10 cm long and sometimes mistaken for individual leaves. The veins from which the leaflets grow are always red. The fruit is a small white or grey berry, produced in panicles 10-20 cm long; this distinguishes it from other sumacs which have red berries. Differs from other sumacs in having shorter leaves, leaflets fewer, margins are entire. It is found in wet soils, whereas the others like it dry. Where found: Poison sumac grows exclusively in very wet or flooded soils, usually in swamps and peat bogs, in the eastern United States and Canada. In the U.S., it can grow as far west as Idaho, where it is found only in the southern part of the state. WARNING: All parts of the plant contain a resin called urushiol. See the entry on Poison Ivy for details.

Leaves of a Poison Sumac shrub

Bitter Nightshade

Bitter Nightshade, Bittersweet

Binomial Name: Solanum dulcamara Description: Bittersweet is a semi-woody herbaceous perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, capable of reaching a height of 4 m where suitable support is available, but more often 1-2 m high. The leaves are 4-12 cm long, roughly arrowhead-shaped, and often lobed at the base. The flowers are in loose clusters of 3-20, (1-1.5 cm) across, star-shaped, with five purple petals and yellow stamens and style pointing forward. Where found: It is native to Europe and Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere, including North America, where it is an invasive problem weed. It occurs in a very wide range of habitats, from woodlands to scrubland, hedges and marshes. WARNING: The fruit is an ovoid red berry about 1 cm long, soft and juicy, poisonous to humans and livestock but edible for birds, which disperse the seeds widely. As with most Solanum species, the foliage is also poisonous to humans.

Bitter Nightshade, Bittersweet

Dogbane

Dogbane

Binomial Name: Apocynum cannabinum Description: The stems are reddish and contain a milky latex capable of causing skin blisters. The leaves are opposite, simple broad lanceolate, 7-15 cm long and 3-5 cm broad, entire, and smooth on top with white hairs on the underside. The flowers are produced in mid summer, with large sepals, and a five-lobed white corolla. Where found: Dogbane grows throughout much of North America, in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States. It grows in open wooded areas, ditches, and hillsides. WARNING: All parts of the plant are poisonous and can cause cardiac arrest if ingested.

Dogbane

Yew

Yew

Binomial Name: Taxus spp. Description: Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs. They are relatively slow growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m. They have reddish bark, lanceolate, flat, dark-green leaves 1-4 cm long and 2-3 mm broad, arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows either side of the stem. WARNING: All species of yew contain highly poisonous alkaloids known as taxanes, with some variation in the exact formula of the alkaloid between the species. All parts of the tree except the arils contain the alkaloid. The arils are edible and sweet, but the seed is dangerously poisonous; unlike birds, the human stomach can break down the seed coat and release the taxanes into the body. This can have fatal results if yew 'berries' are eaten without removing the seeds first. Grazing animals, particularly cattle and horses, are also sometimes found dead near yew trees after eating the leaves, though deer are able to break down the poisons and will eat yew foliage freely. In the wild, deer browsing of yews is often so extensive that wild yew trees are commonly restricted to cliffs and other steep slopes inaccessible to deer.

Taxus baccata (European Yew) shoot with mature and immature cones

8. Do one of the following:

a. Name five plants that are of medicinal value and indicate what part of each plant is used.

Some of these plants may seem familiar as they were also listed in the previous requirement in the "poisonous plant" category. It is curious, though it should not be surprising, that medicinal plants are also considered poisonous. This would be a good opportunity to talk to your Pathfinders about drug abuse.

Any medicine, if taken incorrectly, can poison the body, and that is why it is important to never take medicines unless there is a need for them, and then it is vital to follow the doctor's instructions (or the instructions on the package for over-the-counter medicines). Note that medicinal herbs found in the wild do not come with instructions! We highly recommend that you stress to your Pathfinders that they should never attempt to medicate themselves or others using these plants, as it can be very dangerous or even fatal!

Poison Hemlock

Poison hemlock has been used as a sedative and for its antispasmodic properties. It was also used by Greek and Persian physicians for a variety of problems, such as arthritis. However, it wasn't always effective as the difference between a therapeutic and a toxic amount is very slight. Overdoses can produce paralysis and loss of speech being followed by depression of the respiratory function and then death.

Poison Ivy

Extremely dilute forms of poison ivy are used in homeopathic medicine, most often as a remedy for musculoskeletal complaints with progressive stiffness that worsens with cold, wet, or inactivity and improves with motion, warmth, and use. The patient may have a red tip of the tongue or a red triangle on the tongue, herpetic outbreaks, and itchiness that improves with very hot water.

Bittersweet

Bittersweet is used in homeopathy and herbalism. Its main usage is for conditions that have an impact on the skin, mucous membrane and the membrane (synovial membrane) around the joints. Bittersweet is considered by some to be a herbal remedy for treating herpes and allergies.

Dogbane

Dogbane was used in herbal medicine to treat syphilis, rheumatism, intestinal worms, fever, asthma, and dysentery. Although the toxins from the plant can cause nausea and catharsis, it has also been used for slowing the pulse.

Pacific Yew

The Pacific Yew Taxus brevifolia, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, and Canada Yew Taxus canadensis are the sources of paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic drug used in breast and lung cancer treatment and, more recently, in the production of the Taxus drug eluting stent by Boston Scientific.

b. Name ten wild plants that are edible in root, stem, or leaf.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/Ten edible wild plants

c. An option from requirement 6 of the Flower Honor not completed for that Honor.

We restate the requirements here for your convenience, but for instruction, we ask you to go to the entry on the Flowers honor.

• a. Arrange, draw or photograph a series of at least six flowers showing in order the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.
• b. Submit fresh, pressed or dried flowers which have: five petals, four petals, three petals, no petals.
• c. Distinguish and name two out of five wild or cultivated flowers by their odor, while blindfolded.
• d. List flowers that you have observed being visited for food by the following:
  • 1. Birds
  • 2. Honeybees
  • 3. Bumblebees
  • 4. Butterflies
  • 5. Moths
• e. Watch a flower for at least ten minutes in the sunshine, and at least ten minutes after dusk, and report on insect visitors. State the number and kind of visitors and name of flower.