Instructor: Dr. Jon T. Lindstrom
312 Plant Sciences Building
575-2645
tranell@uark.edu

Official Web Site: http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/cotinus
There are pictures available at this site.

Office Hours: Tuesday, 8:30-10:00 AM. Feel free to contact me by e-mail, phone or in person.
You are welcome to stop by my office without an appointment.

Credits: 3 hours

Class Times: Lecture: Tuesday 2:30-4:20 PM, AGRI 332

Labs: Thursday 2:30-4:20 PM, OR Friday 10:30 AM-12:20 PM,
both meet in AGRI 332 (but usually go elsewhere)

All students MUST enroll in 1 lab section and the lecture.

Goals: To become a "plantsperson." To have the knowledge necessary to describe, select, identify
and use plants properly in the landscape. Each plant has its place, even if it is in a compost heap.

Objectives: Identify and characterize woody landscape plants found in the northwest Arkansas
landscape and elsewhere. Describe the uses and values of these plants and determine their worth
in the landscape.

Text: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 5^th edition, 1998 by Michael A. Dirr.
Winter Botany, 1967 (Dover Edition) by William Trelease
The second book is not in the bookstore yet and a better key to use
is Muenscher’s Keys to Woody Plants by Edward A. Cope (ISBN 0-8014-8702-1).
This is a recent revision (2001) of the key I used as an undergraduate at Cornell.
It is obtainable on-line from Amazon.com. These are the required text for the course.
It is critical that you have the Dirr book. They are available at the University bookstore
but are usually less expensive when purchased from an online bookseller (for example,
http://www.amazon.com or http://www.bn.com. Also please purchase a National 407 Field
Book, this is a hardback bound notebook that you will use during lab to record plants. Part
of your grade will be based on this field book. Additional reference material will be used
through the semester and will be available in my office.

Grading:

To receive an "A" is this class you must obtain 90%+ of the possible points. To receive
a "B" in this class you must obtain 80-89% of the possible points. To receive a "C" in this
class you must obtain 70-79% of the possible points. To receive a "D" in this class you
must obtain 62%-69% of the possible points in this class. Anything less than 62% of the
possible points results in an "F."

Examinations: There will be four plant identification examinations scheduled during the
semester. These exams will be cumulative. Plant ID examinations are scheduled as indicated
on the course calendar.

Midterm: There is a midterm scheduled for March 5, 2002 during the lecture. It is worth 150
points. Students who cheat on the midterm will receive a zero on the midterm.

Final: The final examination for this course is May 7, 2002. It is worth 150 points. Students
who cheat on the final will receive a zero on the final.

Plant Information Sheet: Three required, 100 points each. Discuss in depth a single plant.
Indicate landscape characteristics, problems, significant cultivars, propagation. Length is
limited to no longer than 3 TYPED pages. Images (photographs) are appropriate, if available.
Dates this work is due are indicated on the course calendar. Sheets turned in late will not be
graded. Hint: these sheets may be useful for your oral presentation.

Oral Presentation: Worth 200 points. Select 3-5 plants that have a related theme (some
examples would be same family, same use in landscape, same problems, etc.). Develop and
present a 15-minute talk that informs an audience about these plants. Point out important
ornamental characteristics, problems, propagation, and history. Use slides or other illustrations.
The talk MUST be between 12-15 minutes in length. You CANNOT exceed 15 minutes in
length. The audience for these talks would be interested gardeners (for example Master Gardeners
or Garden Club members). These presentations will be open to the public and will take place
April 16^th or 18^th, 2002. The topic of your talk, and plant list, is due Feb. 26^th.

Presentation Summary: Prepare a written summary of your oral presentation. It should be similar
to a plant information sheet. From reading this summary the relationship between the plants
discussed should be clear.

Assignments and Field Book: Various assignments will be given over the semester, these might
include articles for discussion in the class, plant lists and order of bloom. The field book is a
record of the plants that we viewed during lab.

Conflicts: Legitimate conflicts with quizzes or midterm must be brought to my attention five days
before the exam (barring actual, life or death, emergencies). Make-up quizzes will be oral. If you
tell me less than 5 days before that you’ll miss the exam, I will express my sympathies but will not
allow a make-up.

Lectures: Class periods are 110 minutes in length. The first half will be a lecture or discussion on
a topic related to woody plants. The second half will be an overview of the plants featured during
that week.

Labs: Labs will meet first in AGRI 332. Labs involve walking. There will also be transit to various
locations via car pool. They are not canceled due to weather (unless the University of Arkansas is
officially closed). Come prepared if it is raining, snowing, etc., etc. Labs are two hours in length. In
all labs be prepared to hike 2-3 miles on occasion (not every lab will be this long).

Attendance: Attendance and participation is required at lectures and labs, except by prior
arrangement with the instructor. This is a small class, and your learning will be enriched if you
all attend and participate. It will also help your grade as each lab and lecture is worth 5 points.

Inclement Weather Policy: If the University is officially closed then the class or lab will not meet.

Academic Honesty Policy: The guidelines given in the University of Arkansas Catalogue of Studies
will be followed in regards to academic honesty.

If you need special accommodation due to a disability, please make arrangements to see me in a
timely fashion during my normal office hours.

COURSE CALENDAR

DATE ACTIVITY

Jan. 15 Lect 1: Syllabus, course outline, introduction to keys
Jan. 17-18 Lab: Winter Botany (campus)

Jan. 22 Lect 2: Botanical terms
Jan. 24-25 Lab: Winter Botany (campus)

Jan. 29 Lect 3: Invasive Plants, part 1
Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Lab: Winter botany (Wilson Park)

Feb. 5 Lect 4: Invasive Plants, part 2
Feb. 7-8 Lab: Invasive Plants (campus) Plant ID examination 1

Feb. 12 Lect 5: Invasive plants, part 3, first plant information sheet is due
Feb. 14-15 Lab: Fayetteville Square

Feb. 19 Lect 6: Native plants, Part 1
Feb. 21-22 Lab: Washington-Willow Historical District

Feb. 26 Lect 7: Native plants, Part 2, topic and plant list for oral presentation is due
Feb. 28-Mar. 1 Lab: Altheimer lab, Plant ID examination 2

Mar. 5 Lect 8: Mid-term examination
Mar. 7-8 Lab: Blooms and More, Hindsville

Mar. 12 Lect 9: Woody plant improvement, second plant information sheet is due
Mar. 14-15 Lab: Westwood Gardens

Mar. 19 Lect 10: Spring Break
Mar. 21-22 Lab: Spring Break

Mar. 26 Lect 11: Plants in Zones 7-8-9
Mar. 28-29 Lab: Hort Field lab, ornamental planting Plant ID examination 3

Apr. 2 Lect 12: Plants in Zones 7-8-9
Apr. 4-5 Lab: Wilson Park

Apr. 9 Lect 13: Plants in Zones 7-8-9
Apr. 11-12 Lab: Lake Fayetteville.

Apr. 16 Lect 14: Presentations, third plant information sheet is due
Apr. 18-19 Lab: Lake Wedington

Apr. 23 Lect 15: Presentations, written presentation summary is due
Apr. 25-26 Lab: VA Hospital Plant ID examination 4

Apr. 30 Lect. 16: Course Evaluation

May 7 Course Final, 3:00 to 5:00 PM