...Solenostemon scutellarioides?That's the name of one the plants I learned last week. It is more commonly known as a Coleus. My teacher said when she was in college it used to be called, "Coleus Blumus," but then they changed the rules of naming plants and came up with this more interesting name.
These pictures are all of coleus plants. It's interesting and kind of tricky to identify plants because sometimes there are 10 plants that look different at first glance, but then they end up being the same kind of plant.
Anyway, I am happy to announce that I got 50/50 plus 5 points extra credit on my first plant quiz! I was so worried about learning all those new weird names, but it turned out ok. She's kind of easing us in to this semester because last week we just had to learn the names only. 
This week we have the same list of plants and the quiz will include identification. We'll take a blank paper and go around the lab to check out a bunch of different plant samples, and you have to decide what plant it is and give the common and Latin names. You can give the family name for extra credit. 
I've heard from other students that the ID part of the quiz is tricky because she will take a plant, for instance, a sunflower and cut the flower part off and you have to recognize it by the stem and leaves only. Or she'll find a sample of a kind of plant that doesn't look at all like the samples we studied in class. She wants us to really get it that there are many variations of the same plant, as you may have noticed from these pictures.It's kind of fun to know the real names of some plants though. I feel my brain working and growing in a different way than normal, and I think I like it.
2 comments:
Your brain has always worked different than normal. I'm glad you are finally recognizing that.
I'm also glad its you, not me, what has to learn all that stuff. My brain goes numb just thinking about it.
Holly, Great job on the test! This next one reminds me of my one quarter at Cal Poly. I had to do the same identification thing with animal feed! Not sure which is trickier. I was thinking yours is more pertinet to life, but then look at all the animals I've fed, some 4 legged and some 2 legged!
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