Paper 4 Taxonomy and Diversity of seed Plants – Gymnosperms
Unit 1
Introduction Gymnosperm, the vessel-less and fruitless seed plants varying in the structure of their sperms, pollen grains, pollen germination and the complexity of their female gametophyte, Evolution of Gymnosperms, Classification of Gymnosperms and their distribution in india.
Brief account of the families of Pteridospermales (Lyginopteridaceae, Medullosaceae, Caytoniaceae and Glossopteridaceae) General account of Cycadeoidales and Cordaitales. Structure and reproduction in Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales, Ephedrales, Welwitschiales and Gnetales
Unit 2
Taxonomy of angiosperms
1- Aims. components and principles of taxonomy; Alpha and Omega Taxonomy, documentation and scope
2- System of Angiosperm classification; Cronquist, dahlgren, Thorne and APG-II
3- International Code of Botanical Nomenclature; Principles rules and recommendations;
Taxonomic concept; Hierarchy, species, genus, family and other categories
Unit 3
Numerical Taxonomy – Principles, concepts, operational taxonomic units (OTU). data processing and taxonomic studies, taximetric methods for the study of population variation and similarity coding, cluster analysis, cladistics, cladogram.
Taxonomic literature; Floras, monographs, Icons, Library, Manuals, Index, Taxonomic keys.
Taxonomic tools and techniques Herbarium, serological, Molecular tehnique GIS and Mapping biodiversity.
Unit 4
Taxonomic evidence ‘ Morphology , Anatomy, Palynology, Embryology, Cytology, Phytochemistry and Genome analysis.
Phylogeny of Angiosperms; Ancestors of Angiosperms, time and place of origin of Angiosperms; habit of Angiosperm primitive living Angiosperms, inter relationship among the major group of Angiosperms.
