Course Title: Bot-504

Credit Hours: 3 (2+1)

Specific Objectives:

Introduction, origin, history, features, and generalized life cycle.
Methods of fossilization, types of fossils, geological time scale, importance of paleobotany.
First vascular plant: Rhyniophyta (e.g., Cooksonia).
General characters, classification, affinities, and evolutionary trends of:
Psilopsida (Psilotum)
Lycopsida (Lycopodium, Selaginella)
Sphenopsida (Equisetum)
Pteropsida (Ophioglossum, Dryopteris, Azolla/Marsilea)

Geological history, origin, distribution, morphology, anatomy, classification, and affinities of:
Cycadofillicales
Bennettitales
Ginkgoales
Cycadales
Gnetales
Distribution of gymnosperms in Pakistan.
Economic importance of gymnosperms.
Introduction to Gondwana flora of the world.

Nomenclature, morphology, and classification of living and fossil pollen and spores.

Study morphological and reproductive features of available genera.
Field trips across Pakistan for collection and identification of pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.
Study of pollen morphology.

Beck, C. B. (1992) – Origin and Evolution of Gymnosperms, Vol 1 & 2. Columbia University Press.
Foster, A. S., & Gifford, E. M. Jr. (1998) – Comparative Morphology of Vascular Plants, W.H. Freeman.
Jones, D. (1983) – Cycadales of the World, Washington, DC.
Mauseth, J. D. (1998) – An Introduction to Plant Biology, Jones & Bartlett Pub., UK.
Moore, R. C., Clarke, W. D., & Vodopich, D. S. (1998) – Botany, McGraw-Hill, USA.
Raven, P. H., Evert, R. E., & Eichhorn, S. E. (1999) – Biology of Plants, W.H. Freeman.
Ray, P. M., Steeves, T. A., & Fultz, T. A. (1998) – Botany, Saunders College Publishing.
Taylor, T. N., & Taylor, E. D. (2000) – The Biology and Evolution of Fossil Plants, Prentice Hall.
Stewart, W. N., & Rothwell, G. W. (1993) – Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants, Cambridge University Press.
Faegri, K., Kaland, P. E., & Krzywinski, K. (1989) – Text Book of Pollen Analysis, John Wiley & Sons.
Vashishta, B. R., Sinha, A. K., & Kumar, A. (2010) – Pteridophyta, S. Chand & Co.
Panday, B. P. (2006) – College Botany, Vol 1 & 2, S. 7th Edition, Chand & Co.
Vashishta, B. R., Sinha, A. K., & Kumar, A. (2010) – Gymnosperms, S. Chand & Co.

Bot-504: Diversity of Vascular Plants

📘 Pteridophytes

Introduction, origin, history, features, and a generalized life cycle.

Fossilization: Methods, types of fossils, geological time scale, importance of paleobotany.

First vascular plant: Rhyniophyta e.g., Cooksonia

🌲 Gymnosperms

Origin and Evolution of seed habit.

Geological history, origin, distribution, morphology, anatomy, classification, and affinities of:

Distribution of gymnosperms in Pakistan and economic importance.

Introduction to Gondwana flora of world.

🌸 Angiosperms

Origin, general characteristics, importance, and life cycle of angiosperms.

🔬 Palynology

Introduction to Neopalynology and Paleopalynology; applications in botany, geology, archaeology, criminology, medicine, honey and oil & gas exploration.
Nomenclature, morphology, and classification of living and fossil pollen and spores.

🧪 Lab Outline

Study morphological and reproductive features of available genera.
Field trips across Pakistan for collection and identification of pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.
Study of pollen morphology.

📚 Recommended Books

Beck, C. B. 1992. Origin and Evolution of Gymnosperms. Vol-1&II, Columbia University Press.
Foster, A. S. and Gifford, E. M. Jr. 1998. Comparative Morphology of Vascular Plants. W. H. Freeman and Co.
Jones, D. 1983. Cycadales of the World, Washington, DC.
Mauseth, J. D. 1998. An Introduction to Plant Biology, Jones and Bartlett Pub. UK.
Moore, R. C., Clarke, W. D., Vodopich, D. S. 1998. Botany, McGraw-Hill.
Raven, P. H., Evert, R. E., Eichhorn, S. E. 1999. Biology of Plants, W. H. Freeman.
Ray, P. M., Steeves, T. A., Fultz, T. A. 1998. Botany, Saunders College Publishing.
Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. D. 2000. The Biology and Evolution of Fossil Plants, Prentice Hall.
Stewart, W. N., Rothwell, G. W. 1993. Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants, University Press, Cambridge.
Faegri, K., Kaland, P. E., Krzywinski, K. 1989. Text Book of Pollen Analysis, John Wiley & Sons.
Vashishta, B. R., Sinha, A. K., Kumar, A. 2010. Pterodophyta & Gymnosperms, S. Chand & Co.
Panday, B. P. 2006. College Botany Vol 1 & II, S. Chand & Co.