Presentation During the last class period(s) you will make a 7-10 minute presentation to the class telling the essence of what you have learned about “your” plant.  You are free to choose “props” for your presentation:  Some students in the past have brought a potted specimen of the plant, others have used 35 mm slides or overhead transparencies or “posters.”  A few have put their reports in the form of a web page which they demonstrated in class or in presentation software (PowerPoint) or in an “interactive” medium like HyperStudio.  The choice is up to you.  The instructor will help you, especially if you want to use any of the multimedia equipment in the lab.  The objective is to “teach” about your plant in a way that is effective for the “learners.”

Resources World Wide Web “Botany in Cyberspace,”  an annotated list of useful web sites compiled by the instructor of this course is available at http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~dkramer/botanycyber.html You may not use a web site as a resource unless you can identify the author of the information contained on the web site or the professional organization or university responsible for the site.  The purpose of this rule is to make sure you use quality information.  If the scholar is reputable, his or her name will be attached to the information.  If you have questions about authenticity or authorship, consult the instructor. Libraries You can search the collection of the Ohio State University Library by using the OSCAR link at  http://library.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/index2.html  When you have a list of results, you may click on the drop-down menu (near the Search button) and limit OSCAR’s searches to the Bromfield Library on the Mansfield campus. The Bromfield Library also has agricultural and general research databases (which contain quality information you generally do not find on the internet.)  Find the list of databases arranged by subject at http://www.lib.ohio-state.edu/find/subject.php and click on “agriculture”, and then “Go.”  The Academic Search Premier database would also be a good source of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles on plants. If you do not find everything you need at Mansfield, ask the Bromfield reference librarians to assist you.  It is their job to know where to find things, and to assist you.  They are available to save you time and frustration.  Feel free to drop in without an appointment or call ahead (419-755-4326).  Our campus library may not have everything you need.  However, through Bromfield Library you can borrow materials from OSU’s Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) in Wooster, and from the Food, Agricultural and Enrvironmental Sciences Library (FAES) on the Columbus campus.  Also, the Bromfield librarians can call those libraries in order to make use of their expertise and larger collections. In addition to using the libraries of The Ohio State University, you might want to tap the resources of the extensive library at Kingwood Center (900 Park Avenue West, Mansfield; 419-522-0211; info@kingwoodcenter.org ; http://www.kingwoodcenter.org )  With over 8,500 volumes Kingwood has one of the best botanical libraries in Ohio.  Many historic references, combined with the latest and most authoritative gardening books, make this a unique and valuable source of gardening and plant information.  The Kingwood collection also includes seed and nursery catalogs, video casettes, over 100 periodicals, and references on nature, birds, and other topics related to plants and natural history.  It is a lending library!  It is open year round Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The catalogue is integrated with the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library’s which can be searched at http://www.mrcpl.lib.oh.us/ The Mansfield-Richland County Public Library itself is a good source of information on plants.

Choosing A Plant Topic Use Appendices 1-4 of your textbook but you may want to refer to the following books to get ideas for choosing a plant and then to get much of the information required in the report:

 

ECONOMIC PLANTS:  A SELECTED AND ANNOTATED LIST OF REFERENCES
[S = stacks, C = closed reserve, and R = reference section all in the Bromfield Library, OSU-Mansfield]
	GENERAL REFERENCES:
S	Albala, Ken.  2003.  Food in Early Modern Europe.  Westport, CT:  Greenwood Press.
	Foods that were part of early European culture.  Includes information on nutrition and agriculture.
C	Baker, Herbert G.  1965.  Plants and Civilization.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
	Includes chapters on prehistory, history, exploration, pre-Columbian contacts, wheat, maize, sugar, legumes and oils, beverages, fermentation, rubber, trees, drug plants, tanning and dyes, the future.
S	Balick, Michael J. and Paul Alan Cox.  1996.  Plants, People, and Culture:  The Science of Ethnobotany.  NY: Scientific American Library.
	A short description of the uses of plants by indigenous peoples.  Excellent source of information on the earliest uses of plants.
S	Bernhardt, Peter.  1993.  Natural Affairs.  NY:  Villard Books.
	People-plant interactions as seen through mythology, folklore, art, literature, ...and biology.
R	Boedijn, K.B.  1969.  Plants of the World:  The Lower Plants.  Vol. I.  NY:  E.P. Dutton.
	This is a companion volume to the two volumes on The Higher Plants (see deWit, H.C.D.)  Excellent b-w photos, line drawings, and a few colored plates.  Includes bacteria, blue-green bacteria (=blue green algae), algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, and the fern allies.  Emphasis is on morphology rather than economic uses.
R	Bown, Deni.  1995.  Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses.  London:  Dorling   Kindersley.
	Beautifully illustrated book of herbs of the world with photos, uses, and cultivation methods.
R	Bunney, Sarah.  1996.  The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:  Their Medicinal and Culinary Uses.  Prague:  Barnes and Noble (Aventinum Publishing House).
	Descriptions of many herbs, illustrated with colored drawings, and explanations of their uses for both medicine and cooking.
C	Camp, Wendell H., Victor R. Boswell, and John R. Magness.  1957.  The World in Your Garden.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic Society.
	Very well illustrated book for educated laymen.  Covers plant exploration, flower arranging, and has details of origin of most of the commonly cultivated flowers, vegetables, and fruits. Good starting point.
	Top                    Return to Index
R	deWit, H.C.D.  1966/67.  Plants of the World:  The Higher Plants I and II.  2 Vols.  NY:  E.P. Dutton
	This 2-volume work describes thousands of plants worldwide including most of those that have economic importance.  Has numerous b-w photos and some color plates.  Each volume has its own index... look in both.  See Boedijn, K.B. for companion volume on Lower Plants.
R	Duke, James A., et al.  2002.  Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.  Boca Raton, FL:  CRC Press.
	Information on the medicinal uses of a wide variety of plants.
R	Fleming, Thomas. (Ed.)  2000.  PDR [Physician’s Desk Reference] for Herbal Medicines.Montvale, NJ:  Medical Economics Co.
	Includes actions, indications, precautions, and dosage for herbal medicines of the world.
S	Goody, Jack.  1993.  The Culture of Flowers. Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press.
	Extensive treatment of the use of flowers for ornament and their symbolism in art and literature.
C	Hill, Albert F.  1952.  Economic Botany:  A Textbook of Useful Plants and Plant Products.    2nd Ed.  NY:  McGraw-Hill.
	Detailed information on hundreds of cultivated plants.  Major sections of the book are dedicated to industrial plants and plant products, drug plants, food plants, and food adjuncts (spices, beverages).
S	Hoffman, David  1990 (orig 1983).  The New Holistic Herbal.  Rockport, MA:  Element,   Inc.
	Organized according to body systems; some chemistry; discussion of herbal medicine techniques; recipes; illustrations are drawings and photos.
S	Jankowiak, James  1978.  The Prosperous Gardener.  Emmaus, PA:  Rodale Press.
	This book on organic gardening describes culture techniques for a large number of vegetable crops.  Well indexed.
	Top                    Return to Index
C	Kaufman, Peter B.  1989.  Plants:  Their Biology and Importance.  NY:  Harper & Row.
	This is a general textbook but Section VII (Chapters 30-32) provides a good overview of some of the most economically important plants.  The three chapters are on food plants; medicinal, psychoactive, and poisonous plants; and plants used for fiber, wood, paper, and energy.  If you are having trouble choosing an interesting plant for your study, this is a good place to get ideas.
R	Kiple, Kenneth F. and Kriemhild Coneé Ornelas. (Eds.).  2000.  The Cambridge World   History of Food.  Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press.  Vols I & II.
	Very detailed information about world foods including the history of their cultivation.
C	Klein, Richard M.  1987.  The Green World:  An Introduction to Plants and People.  2nd   Ed.  NY:  Harper and Row.
	Includes some general botany but focuses on useful plants.  Information on origins of agriculture, major grain crops, legumes, potato, sugar, tea, coffee, chocolate, spices and herbs, plants of the bible, plants of superstition, drug plants, medicinal plants, alcoholic beverages, paper, cotton, rubber, tobacco, essential oils, plants and the environment.  Excellent bibliography at end of each chapter.
R	Kowalchik, Claire and William H. Hylton, Ed.  1987. Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.  Emmaus, PA:  Rodale Press.
	Organized by common name; very well illustrated and organized; includes dyes, gardening, crafts, houseplants, etc.
S	Lewington, Anna.  1990.  Plants for People.  NY:  Oxford Univ. Press
	A very comprehensive and beautifully illustrated (most in color) book.  You will want to look at this even if “your” plant isn’t in it!
S	Lewis, Walter H. and Memory P. F. Elvin-Lewis.  1977. Medical Botany:  Plants AffectingMan’s Health.  NY:  John Wiley & Sons
	Sections on “injurious” plants, “remedial” plants, and “psychoactive” plants.  Many illustrations and tables.
	Top                    Return to Index
S	Mabey, Richard, Ed.  1988.  The New Age Herbalist.  New York:  Collier Books,   Macmillan.
	Organized by use, within use by body part; includes growing; beautifully illustrated with color photos.
S	Miller, Richard Alan.  1992.  The Potential of Herbs as a Cash Crop:  How to Make a Living in the Country.  Berkeley, CA:  Ten Speed Press.
	Detailed instructions for planting, cultivating, harvesting, and marketing herbs.  Boxed text, interspersed throughout, gives instructions for specific herbs.  Includes tables, illustrations, and lists of seed vendors.
S	Moerman, Daniel E.  1998.  Native American Ethnobotany.  Portland, OR:  Timber Press.
	Information on ways the Native Americans (American Indians) used plants for drugs, foods, fibers and dyes, etc.  Very interesting.
R	Moore, D. M.  Ed.  1991.  Plant Life.  NY:  Oxford University Press.
	Excellent photos, colored drawings, maps, and descriptions of plants throughout the world that are used by humans as food, shelter, clothing, medicine, etc.
R	Ottariano, Steven G.  1999.  Medicinal Herbal Therapy:  A Pharmacist’s Viewpoint.  Portsmouth, NH:  Nicolin Fields Publishing, Inc.
	Descriptions of the most common medicinal herbs and their uses.
R	Phillips, Roger.  2002.  The Botanical Garden.  Willowdale, Ont.:  Firefly Books.
	A very beautiful book with information on nearly every plant cultivated for ornamental purposes.
S	Prance, Ghillean and Mark Nesbitt, Eds.  2005.  The Cultural History of Plants.  NY/ London:  Routledge.
	A comprehensive record of plants of the world and how they came into cultivation.  Early chapters are focused on anthropology and explain how agriculture grew out of a hunting-gathering tradition.
R	Reader’s Digest, Editors.  1986.  Magic and Medicine of Plants.  Pleasantville, NY:    Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
	This beautifully illustrated book not only describes the plants used as medicines but also describes their habitats, ranges, identifying characteristics, and uses.  There are interesting chapters on the history of herbal medicine and chapters on growing and using herbs, complete with recipes.
S	Sauer, Jonathan D.  1993.  Historical Geography of Crop Plants:  A Select Roster.    Boca Raton:  CRC Press.
	For the major crops, tells where they grow wild and how they came into cultivation.
	Top                    Return to Index
S	Schwanitz, Franz.  1967.  The Origin of Cultivated Plants.  Cambridge:  Harvard U. Press.
	Four chapters:  From wild plant to cultivated form (changes in plants through domestication), the genetic bases of the origin of cultivated plants, the influence of the environment on the origin of cultivated plants, the history of plant breeding.  This book is poorly indexed but small enough to be scanned to find a particular plant.
C	Simpson, Beryl B. and Molly C. Ogorzaly.  2001.  Economic Botany:  Plants in Our World.  3rd Ed.  New York, NY:  McGraw-Hill, Inc.  NOTE:  The 2nd Ed. (1995) is in the stacks.
	A “classic” in Economic Botany.  One of the most comprehensive books of its kind.  Profusely illustrated and with an up-to-date bibliography.  Structural formulas of most of the important plant chemicals.  A good place to get started.
S	Sumner, Judith.  2000.  The Natural History of Medicinal Plants.  Portland, OR:  Timber Press.
	A brief history of the uses of plants for medicine.  Includes plant poisons.  Explains modern approaches to discovering and conserving medicinal plants.
S	Sumner, Judith.  2004.  American Household Botany.  Portland, OR:  Timber Press.
	A history of the uses of plants in America from 1620 to 1900.  Organized by method of use.
R	Tarrant, John.  1991.  Farming and Food.  NY:  Oxford University Press.
	Describes agricultural methods by region of the world.
S	Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne.  1992.  A History of Food.  NY:  Barnes & Noble.
	Translated from the original French.  Describes the history of the uses of various food plants.
R	Turner, R. G. and Ernie Wasson, Ed.  2001.  Botanica:  The Illustrated A-Z of Over 10,000    Garden Plants.  NY:  Barnes & Noble.
	A beautifully illustrated book that focuses on ornamental plants.
C	Tyler, Varro E.  1993.  The Honest Herbal.  Birmingham, NY:  Pharmaceutical Products Press.
	Covers most of the herbs used for medicinal purposes.  For most there is a discussion of the historic uses of the herb along with references to the latest scientific research proving or disproving the claimed benefit.  Author is a professor at Purdue University.
R	Vaughan, J. G. and C. A. Geissler.  1997.  The New Oxford Book of Food Plants.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press.
	A beautifully illustrated description of most of the food plants of the world.  Includes information about the history of cultivation of the plant, cultivation methods, utilization.
C	Viola, Herman J. and Carolyn Margolis.  1991.  Seeds of Change.  Washington, DC:    Smithsonian Institution Press.
	Written for the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the New World, this book focuses on sugarcane, maize, tomatoes, and potatoes but also mentions a host of other plants that became widely used throughout the world after their “discovery” by Columbus and explorers who followed him.
	Top                    Return to Index
R	Wiersema, John H. and Blanca León.  1999.  World Economic Plants: A StandardReference.  Boca Raton:  CRC Press.
	Common and scientific names of economic plants of the world.  If you know the common name, you can find the scientific name and vice versa.
	STATISTICAL REFERENCES: For statistical information on crop production you will want to consult reference books generally called “statistical abstracts”.  Two of the most useful in the OSU Mansfield Learning Resources Center are:
R	Agricultural Statistics, 1998.  Washington:  U.S. National Agricultural Statistics Service.
	Tables of data on those plants that are part of the US agricultural industry.  Call no.:  S494.5.E8.U5 1998
R	Ohio Farm Income.  2000.  Wooster, OH:  Ohio Agricultural Research and Development    Center.
	This obviously includes only plants grown in Ohio but there are many.  Call no. S560.05 2000 c.7
R	Statistical Abstract of the United States.  (latest edition).  Washington:  U.S. Dept. of   Commerce.  Online version at  http://www.census.gov/statab/www  then click on   “Index.”
	This has crop production information for the United States only.  It is shelved in the Reference Collection, call number:  HA202 C.31
R	The Europa World Year Book. (latest edition).  Two volumes.  Europa Publishing.
	This has crop production information for Europe.  It is shelved in the Reference Collection, call number:  D2 E892
	There are many other useful books in the QK and SB sections of the Circulating Collection and the Reference Collection.
	Top                    Return to Index