Overall objectives:

1 - It is intended that students acquires an understanding of the main groups of seed plants including the skills necessary to taxonomically recognise them and correctly describe their morphology.
2 - It is intended that students acquires the skills necessary to correctly describe the morphology of the groups of plants studied.
3 - Students should be able to identify and distinguish the groups of plants studied, namely the main families of seed plants.
4 - Students should be able to understand the evolution of seed plants, relating their morphology, life-cycles and evolution (including fossil records) along geological time, being therefore able to correlate plant morphology with both their phylogeny and ecology.
5 - It is intended that students acquire the skills necessary to collect and prepare herbarium specimens as well as to correctly identify them using dichotomous keys.

Syllabus:

1 - Brief reference to history of Botany and to the evolution of the classification of seed plants.
2 - Morphology of seed plants (root, stem, leaf, flower, inflorescence, fruit and seed). Morphologya ecology and evolution. Life-cycles in seed plants.
3 - Progymnosperms and gymnosperms.
4 - Coniferophytina. Ginkgoopsida, morphology and ancestral character among Spermatophyta, pollination and life-cycle. Pinopsida, taxonomy and morphological characters. Cordaitidae as ancestral group. Pinidae (= Coniferae). Voltziales (fossil record and morphology) and Pinales (morphology, taxonomy and examples in the families Araucariaceae, Pinaceae, Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae, Podocarpaceae and Cephalotaxaceae). The Taxidae (Taxaceae), morfphologya and examples.
5 - Cycadophytina. Origin, evolution and morphology of the Cycadophytina, possible relations with the Magnoliophytina (=Angispérmicas). Lyginopteridopsida (= Pteridospermas), fossils and morphological characterisation, ancestral and derived characters. Morphology and examples in the Lyginopteridales and Caytoniales. Cycadopsida, morphology, evolution, life cycles and examples. Bennetitopsida. Fossils and morphological characterisation, the Bennetitopsida "flowers", discussion on the relations with Angiosperms. Gnetopsida. Morphology, life-cycles and examples.
6 - Magnoliophytina (=Angiospérmicas). Introduction to the study of flowering plants, morphology and evolution of morphological characters. Leaf, habit and stem structure. Root. Flower (Carpel, pistil, ovule, female gametophyte, distinct types of embryo sac. Androecium, stamen, pollen, male gametophyte). Synopsis of ancestral and derived character states. Primitive angiosperms and their morphology. Magnoliopsida versus Liliopsida.
7 - Magnoliidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Degeneriaceae, Magnoliaceae, Annonaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Lauraceae, Rafflesiaceae and Cytinaceae.
8 - Nymphaeidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Nupharaceae, Nymphaeaceae and Ceratophyllaceae.
9 - Nelumbonidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the family Nelumbonaceae.
10 - Nymphaeidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Ranunculaceae and Papaveraceae.
11 - Caryophyllidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Polygonaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Aizoaceae, Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae.
12 - Hamamelididae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Platanaceae, Fagaceae (incl. Nothofagaceae), Betulaceae (incl. Corylaceae), Myricaceae and Juglandaceae.
13 - Dilleniidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Theaceae, Droseraceae, Ericaceae, Violaceae, Salicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Brassicaceae, Cistaceae, Malvaceae and Euphorbiaceae.
14 - Rosidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Crassulaceae, Saxifragaceae, Rosaceae, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Aceraceae, Rutaceae, Geraniaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Rhamnaceae and Vitaceae.
15 - Cornidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Apiaceae and Caprifoliaceae.
16 - Asteridae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Campanulaceae e Asteraceae.
17 - Lamiidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Convolvulaceae (incl. Cuscutaceae), Boraginaceae, Oleaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Plantaginaceae e Lamiaceae.
18 - Liliidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Liliaceae (s.l.), Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Alliaceae, Agavaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Dracaenaceae.
19 - Commelinidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Bromeliaceae, Musaceae, Zingiberaceae, Juncaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae.
20 - Arecidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the family Arecaceae.
21 - Alismatidae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples and economic relevance of the families Alismataceae e Potamogetonaceae.
22 - Triurididae. Phylogeny and morphological characters (ancestral and derived). Morphological characterisation, examples.
23 - Aridae. Posição filogenética, caracterização morfológica. Caracterização morfológica, exemplos e importância económica das famílias Araceae and Typhaceae.

Literature/Sources:

Jardim, R. & Menezes de Sequeira, M. , 2008 , Lista das plantas vasculares (Pteridophyta and Spermatophyta). Pp. 179-208 in Borges, P.A.V., Abreu, C., Aguiar, A.M.F., Carvalho, P., Jardim, R., Melo, I., Oliveira, P., Sérgio, C., Serrano, A.R.M. & Vieira, P. (eds.) (2008). A list of the terrestri , Direcção Regional do Ambiente da Madeira and Universidade dos Açores, Funchal and Angra do Heroísmo,
Jardim, R. & Menezes de Sequeira, M. , 2008 , As Plantas Vasculares (Pteridophyta e Spermatophyta) dos Arquipélagos da Madeira e das Selvagens. Pp. 157-178 in Borges, P.A.V., Abreu, C., Aguiar, A.M.F., Carvalho, P., Jardim, R., Melo, I., Oliveira, P., Sérgio, C., Serrano, A.R.M. & Vieira, P. (ed , Direcção Regional do Ambiente da Madeira and Universidade dos Açores, Funchal and Angra do Heroísmo,
FONT­QUER, P , Diccionario de Botanica , Ed. Labor. Barcelona
STEWART, W.N. & ROTHWELL, G.W. , 1993 , Paleobotany and the Evolution of Plants. 2nd Edition. , Cambridge University Press.
STRASBURGER et al , 1997 , Tratado de Botânica. 33ª Ed , Barcelona.
GIFFORD, E., Foster, A. , 1989 , Morphology and Evolution of Vascular Plants , W.H. Free.& C., New York
HEYWOOD, V , 1993 , Flowering plants of the World , Oxford Univ. Press.
Linnaeus, C. , 1753. , Species Plantarum ed. Facsimile of the first edition , BMNH, London.
MENEZES DE SEQUEIRA, M. , 1997 , A Flor. Morfologia, Biologia e Evolução. , Vila Real.
PRESS, J. R. & SHORT, M. J , 1994 , Flora of Madeira , NHM. London
Stafleu, F. A , 1971 , Linnaeus and the linnaeans ,
STEARN, W. T , 1957 , Linnaeus Sexual System of Classification. In Linnaeus Sp. Plant. ed. Facsimile of the 1st ed. , london
Takhtajan, A. , 1996 , Diversity and Classification of Flowering Plants , Columbia Univ. Press. New York.
WEBERLING, F , 1989 , Morphology of flowers and inflorescences , Cambridge Univ. Press.
Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). , Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 14, July 2017 [and more or less continuously updated since] , http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/
Mabberley, D.J. , 2006 , Mabberlwy's Plant-Book. A portable dictionary of plants, their classification and uses. , Cambridge University Press.

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
The adopted strategy articulates the theoretical classes with practical classes and field work. In practical classes, the theoretical knowledge is applied to study specimens of seed plants. This material is handled (dissected), observed and drawn, and preparation and observation techniques are trained. During field classes collection techniques are trained and in situ diversity observed. Some field classes are held at the Botanical Garden of Madeira, allowing the access to a complementary, and higher, diversity mainly of unusual taxonomic groups of vascular plants. Students are assessed as follows: one written or oral exams covering theoretical topics and concepts (50% final grade, minimum grade 9,5); one practical exam including the preparation, observation, description (including drawings) and identification of specimens (20% final grade, minimum grade 9,5); ­herbarium of 100 specimens (30% final grade, minimum grade 10, not recoverable in the final exam).