The Pine Life Cycle
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Botany 121
Lab 10 Pine Life Cycle
Your name
Your plant codename (password)
Date
Introduction
For this lab, you will find, collect, dissect, photograph, and describe the characteristics of pines, including long-shoot/short-shoot growth habit, fascicles of needles, pollen cones, seed cones, and seeds.
1. Briefly describe where you found the tree(s) you chose to study and photograph for this lab. Identify the species of this pine. Pines are most commonly identified by the number of needles per fascicle and the size and shape of the seed cones, so be sure to note (and photograph) those characteristics specifically. In the parks and neighborhoods of Goleta and Santa Barbara the most common species planted include Monterey Pine, Canary Island Pine, and Aleppo Pine. Along Camino Cielo Road in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara you will find Coulter Pines. In the San Rafael Mountains behind Lake Cachuma grow Coulter Pines, Sugar Pines and Ponderosa Pines. If you find a species not listed here, be sure to tell me where you found it.
2. Review the pine life cycle diagram on pp. 442-443 in the textbook, and make a list of ways in which this life cycle is similar to the life cycle of ferns (see pp.422-423 in the textbook), and another list of ways in which it differs.
Materials and Methods
Include the following six photographs:
1. A photograph of the tree you chose to study (not necessary to include a card in this photo).
2. A close up photograph of a single fascicle of needles.
3. A close up photograph of one or more pollen cones. The pollen cones may not be in prime condition. You may have to hunt for last year’s old dried up ones, maybe even on the ground under the tree; this is fine.
4. A photograph of a mature seed cone.
5. A close up photograph of a pine seed that you bought (Trader Joe’s has the best price) and dissected to show clearly the embryo and megagametophyte tissue.
6. A picture downloaded from the internet of the world’s oldest potted plant. Of course, it is not necessary to include a card in this picture.