This is, I believe, one
of the few plant collections, based on
taxonomy. It contains one plant from
each of the twenty-two classes of
Plantae, accordantly to my Taxonomy
Tree. This means that I have the
most unrelated plant collection that it is possible to have.
WHY? It all started with a
caudiciform collection that grew too large. I reduced it by
limiting it to one plant
from each family. After some time I found I had discovered
99 Families,
and had been able to get a representative
plant from 95 of these.
Once again I reduced the collection: Firstly, I tried limitation by
Orders, but that only cut it down to 46 plants. So, I reduced it further
to Classes. The Sub-Kingdom TRACHEOBIONTA comprises 17 Classes. My
caudiciform collection contained 11 of these. With the
5 Classes from the Mosses,
I would have the entire kingdom! (Some include the
13 Classes of green algae - I don't).
My former caudiciform collection now forms a special part of the
Copenhagen Botanical
Garden. More about how plants are divided into groups on
TAXON. |
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HOW?
I'm working on a way to keep the plants alive and healthy, and, have
the freedom to leave them unattended for several weeks at a time.
They are divided in to two groups by water needs. Certain bowls contain
a
special, hidden, interior which allows just the right amount of water up
to the soil. Another system keeps the bottom of the bowls filled with
water to an even level.
It is my belief that plants, in general, benefit from a constant level of
humidity in the soil. In this way they are able to extend their roots to
the levels that suit them best. Maintaining moisture levels in the
capillary root system between watering sessions, prevents drowning and
rotting, often caused by infrequent and heavier watering. In the wild,
moisture is more constant than in pots, and I try to duplicate this. I
am convinced that, ‘a little water often’, is better than ‘drowning
them occasionally’. |
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TREE!
Taxonomy systems constantly changes, and recently, DNA sequences of three genes have made it
possible to create a
taxonomy tree, resembling the evolutionary tree. I have used
the last
systems with Classes: Bryophytes:
Cavalier-Smith, 1998. Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes:
Reveal, 1996.
The new systems, based on PholyCode,
divides the plants accordantly to DNA code from three
genes.
APG is the
main source, and their main groups are clades: Angiosperms: Magnoliids (Gyrocarpus), Monocots
(Dioscorea), Commelinids
(Amorphophallus), Eudicots
(Stephania, Core Eudicots
(Delosperma), Rosids
(Monolena), Eurosids I
(Kedrostis), Eurosids II
(Jacaratia), Asterids
(Agapetes),
Euasterids I (Fockea) and Euasterids II
(Cussonia).
Welwitschiales and Ephedrales are now part of Gnetales. |
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WET
Section
Anthocerotopsida,
Hepatopsida, Bryopsida, and
Sphagnopsida.
Psilotopsida, Equisetopsida,
Lycopodiopsida,
Selaginellopsida,
Isoetopsida,
Pinopsida,
Piperopsida
and
Ranunculopsida
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DRY
Section
Polypodiopsida, Welwitschiopsida
,Ginkgoopsida,
Ephedropsida,
Cycadopsida,
Gnetopsida,
Andreaeopsida,
Rosopsida, Magnoliopsida
and
Liliopsida.
To add a bit to the difficulty, I go for the smallest members of
each class. |
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Non-vascular plants - Mosses.
Vascular spore plants
- Fern and allied.
Plants with naked
seeds - Gymnosperms.
The flowering plants - Angiosperms. |
These
is the taxonomy of
all the plants I have.
Bryophyta:
Cavalier-Smith, 1998. Tracheophyta:
Reveal, 1996.
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TAXONOMY PLANT COLLECTION