Botany Commons^™

A Taxonomic Re-Evaluation Of Specimens Of The Genus Caloplaca In The E.L. Stover Herbarium Of Eastern Illinois University, Eric J. Cameron

Masters Theses

The genus Caloplaca is the largest genus in the family Teloschistaceae. The 103 species in the genus greatly outnumber any other in the family. Lichens of the genus Caloplaca are usually orange to orange-yellow in color, and range from crustose to subfoliose in form. The orange color is due to an anthraquinone, parietin, the location of which is taxonomically important in this genus of lichens. In some species it occurs only in the apothecia, while in others it is found in both the apothecia and thallus. The spores of this genus are polarilocular, and the width of the isthmus is …

Cyanogenic Plants Of Illinois, Kevin E. Aikman

Masters Theses

Cyanogenesis in 50 species of vascular plants collected from east central Illinois was studied by examining 10 populations of each species. Each population consisted of 30 individuals, which gave an over all sample size of 300 plants per species. Herbarium specimens from the Stover Herbarium of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) were also tested for the presence of cyanide. More than 20,000 specimens were tested for this study which included cultivated plants, introduced weeds, and native plant species. The speed and degree of the HCN reaction as well as the specific plant part tested were included to give a more specific …

Medicinal Herbs Of Central Illinois, James E. Hefley

Masters Theses

A survey of the medicinal plants of central Illinois was conducted from fall of 1985 to the summer of 1987. This study concentrated on those herbaceous plants which have a scientific basis for their medicinal value. The study range included the following counties: Coles, Moultrie, Shelby, Fayette, Christian, and Montgomery.

In this paper, 58 species were considered, representing 33 families. A description of external morphology is included for each specimen, as well as folknames and habitat preferences. In addition, the medicinal qualities and active constituents are included for each specimen, as well as comments about their scientific and folknames.

In …

An Understory Survey Of Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, Amy Jo Burns

Masters Theses

Several vegetation studies have been undertaken in Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, in the past 20 years. After looking at the data of these studies it was decided that an additional study was needed to determine if the increasing importance value (IV) of Acer saccharum was indeed important. It appears that this species is starting to take over the native oak-hickory woods as well as decreasing the diversity of the herbaceous understory (Ebinger, 1986). The present study was undertaken to determine of Acer saccharum has increased enough to justify implementation of some type of forest management.

Environmental parameters at the …

The North American Distribution Of The Cladonia Cryptochlorophaea Asah. Population Containing The Para-Depside Atranorin As An Accessory Substance, Paul Raymond Lock

Masters Theses

An examination by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of herbarium material and collections from Missouri and Arkansas of the cup-shaped lichen Cladonia cryptochlorophaea Asah. was used to determine the North American distribution of the population containing the para-depside atranorin. This atranorin containing variant was originally reported by Cunningham (1982) in Coles and Clark Counties of Illinois with further studies by Wilcer (1984) in Illinois, western Indiana and southern Wisconsin.

A total of 181 specimens of Cladonia cryptochlorophaea Asah. were examined for the para-depside atranorin using TLC. Herbarium material was supplied for study from both the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C., and Eastern …

Woody Vegetation Of Baber Woods: Composition And Changes Since 1964, James Alvin Newman Jr.

Masters Theses

A comparative study of the woody vegetation changes at Baber Woods, Edgar County, Illinois, since 1964 was completed in 1983. This 51 acre woodlot is a remnant of a much larger forest which once occuppied the Shelbyville Moraine.

An inventory of the woody vegetation shows that the present stand consists of 109 stems per acre with a basal area of 113 sq. ft. per acre. In this survey, 33 woody species were found. Sugar maple had the highest Importance Value (IV) of all woody species present, having the highest density in both the 4-6 and 7-12 inch diameter classes, as …

Juglans Cinerea: The American White Walnut, Dennis Robert Hattermann

Masters Theses

The American white walnut Juglans cinerea L. is a native North American tree in the Juglandaceae, or walnut family. It prefers rich, moist, rather neutral to slightly basic lowland soils. This is an in depth study of its taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, age, size, growth habit, distribution, ecology, propagation, economic importance, medicinal uses, toxicity, folklore, diseases and pests, and chemical constituents.

J. cinerea L. is monoecious and confined in its distribution to the eastern and central parts of North America. It can be easily identified by its large, pinnately compound leaves and ashy-gray bark with broad, flat plates and deep furrows. …

Vegetation Changes In Four Study Areas At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Kathryn Ann Kerr

Masters Theses

The sampling transects at Indiana Dunes were established to show the pre-burn condition of the vetetation and to monitor the long term effects of burning. However, one year of monitoring showed changes in vetetation that further substantiate the need for the burning program.

Miller Woods (Transect A) has burned frequently in recent years. The one year without fire showed little change in the herbaceous layer. The few notable herbaceous changes might indicate a transition to a more mesic community, but should be viewed skeptically because of the wet season in 1982.

Nearly half of the small shrub species at Miller …

The Effect Of Indoleacetic Acid And Related Chemicals On Growth Patterns Of Decapitated Bean Plants, Lewis V. Buchanan

Masters Theses

Bean plants were used to study effects of IAA and related chemicals on plant growth patterns. Plant apical growth tips were removed, eliminating apical donimance. Decapitated plants were treated in experimental groups with IAA, tryptophan, 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid, serotonin, and melatonin. Two other groups served as controls, one cut, and one uncut.

Growth measurements were taken to determine if the treatments could effectively restore apical dominance. Cut control plants showed a loss of apical dominance, with decreased apical growth, and release of inhibition of axillary growth, when compared to the uncut group.

Tryptophan and meltonin treatments restored little or no …

Vegetation Analysis Of Three Zones Of Belmont Prairie, Dupage County, Illinois, Susan Eckert Ruta

Masters Theses

Belmont Prairie is located in Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois, and is one of the few preserves of a native tall grass prairie. It is located in the Morainal section of the Northeastern Morainal Division, and harbors over 100 species of native prairie plants which are typical of the community type. Three vegetation zones were sampled for species composition and both frequency and relative frequency. These areas are as follows: Dry mesic upland area, sedge meadow, and transitional area.

The upland dry mesic zone had diverse vegetation including forb and grass species such as Parthenium integrifolium, Silphium laciniatum, …

Woody Vegetation At Burgner Acres, East-Central Illinois: Composition And Changes Since 1964, Larry Philip Lehnen Jr.

Masters Theses

A comparative study was undertaken of the changes in woody vegetation of Burgner Acres during the past 18 years. This ten acre woodlot, located in east-central Illinois was surveyed using a method identical to that of a previous study. A literature review describing the composition of three general types of forests in the Grand Prairie Division of Illinois is included.

Twenty-five arborescent species are present on the study site with white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) maintaining its position as first in importance value (I.V. = relative frequency + relative density + relative dominance). Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) has …

A Survey Of Selected Economic Plants, Virgil S. Priebe

Masters Theses

A library research project was done to gain information on the ethnic uses of plants cited in C. B. Arzeni and B. N. McKnight's "Ethnobotany", a workbook used in conjunction with Botany classes 2320 and 5452 offered at Eastern Illinois University at Charleston. The workbook represents a series of exercises on plants and their impact and importance to man. At present, there is no single book that offers explanations and comments on the diversity of plants that appear in this workbook. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to bring together such information in one work, with the hope that …

Analyses Of Illinois Wild Turkey Habitat And April Foods, Kim D. Price

Masters Theses

A vegetative analysis of turkey habitat was conducted in Alexander, Jackson, Union, and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. From these studies it was determined that turkeys inhabit relatively open stands of timber with agricultural fields and forest clearings in close proximity. Species of Quercus comprise approximately 40% or more of the tree species sampled, with Q. alba, Q. rubra, and Q. velutina being the most dominant. Found growing in association with Quercus are species of Carya, Cornus florida, Acer saccharum, Sassafras albidum, Fraxinus americana, and Ulmus rubra, in varying concentrations. The examination of food …

A Taxonomic And Ecological Study Of The Lichens Of "Rocks Park" In Coles County, Illinois, Robert Arthur Williams

Masters Theses

The lichen flora of "Rocks Park", Coles County, Illinois, was studied extensively. The tract (sec 17, T12N,R10E), which is located in east-central Illinois, was selected for study because of its diversity of habitats for lichen growth. A literature review of the studies of the lichens of east central and southern Illinois and nearby Indiana is included. The area is heavily dissected by the Embarrass River and a few small tributaries. The major vegetation type is oak-hickory forest. This tract was found to have four distinct habitats with different lichen associations. The habitats described are the following:

1. Open Field Area
2. Sparsely …

The Illinois Ferns Of Coles, Clark, And Cumberland Counties, Bill N. Mcknight

Masters Theses

A study of the ferns in East Central Illinois was conducted between the spring of 1976 and the spring of 1980. The counties surveyed were Coles, Clark, and Cumberland. The majority of the field investigation was conducted near the moraines and waterways which dissect the area.

Keys are provided for the families, genera, and species. There are also descriptions and illustrations for each species considered. The description covers the gross external morphology and any variations that occur. Also included are habitat preference and local distribution data. In addition, there are ethnic comments dealing with the derivation of both folk and …

A Taxonomic And Ecological Study Of The Cladonia Species Of The Central Portion Of Fox Ridge State Park In Coles County, Illinois, James L. Jannesse

Masters Theses

Extensive collections were made on the central ridge system at Fox Ridge State Park in Coles County, Illinois. A literature review of the works on the genus Cladonia in North America encompassed major taxonomic collections undertaken in the last 20 years. Also, a historical account on the developments in the Cladonia chlorophaea complex are listed. Basic Cladonia morphology is described, including both microscopic and macroscopic illustrations. The study area was subdivided on a grid system, enabling the collection sites to be numbered. The entire area was covered in two foot intervals. From every entity that was found, ¼ of it …

The Cirsium Altissimum - Discolor Complex In Illinois, Dennis R. Bischoff

Masters Theses

Cirsium altissimum, C. discolor and suspected hybrids used in this study were collected during September 1977 from three locations in east central Illinois. All were combined for subsequent taking of data because the study dealt with incidence of hybridization and morphological discriminators rather than degrees and directions of introgression. Ten possible discriminators were chosen by examination of herbarium specimens of parental plants: I, Involucre width; II, Involucre height; III, Pubescence of upper leaf surface; IV, Angle of departure of main veins from the midrib; V, Number of spines per cm along the margin; VI, Length of indurate portion of …

Cytological Investigations Of Eremosphaera Viridis De Bary, Richard Allen Valentino

Masters Theses

Eremosphaera viridis de Bary was studied with light microscope techniques to determine the method of cytokinesis and to explain the ontogeny of the membranous ring separating the mature daughter cells in the intact sporangium.

It is proposed that cytokinesis in this organism is phylogenetically advanced and that the separation of mature daughter cells involves the sequential deposition of two cell walls. The first wall develops centripetally by the addition of membrane subunits. The resulting cleavage furrow is oriented by transverse microtubules found along the cell division plane. The newly formed walls separate the two daughter cells and give rise to …

Aquatic Plant Communities Of East-Central Illinois, Randolph Lee Vogel

Masters Theses

Aquatic plant communities of east-central Illinois were studied during the late summers of 1971 and 1976. Frequencies, relative frequencies and frequency of dominance were calculated for the various taxa. At the pond level, changes in the flora over the 5-year span have taken place, usually consisting of the addition or subtraction of one species. Overall, however, it was found that the aquatic community has remained relatively static, as has the percentage of ponds lacking aquatic plants. Factors influencing distributions and sterility are discussed and it was concluded that all the factors play varying roles, but no one factor or combination …

A Taxonomic Study Of The Lichen Flora At The Peaks Of Otter Natural Area Along The Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford County, Virginia, Michael L. Slaughter

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Bryoecology Of Montgomery County, Illinois, Elbert A. Traylor

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Three-Year Field Study Of Cacalia Atriplicifolia, L. With Emphasis On Dispersal Mechanisms, Joann T. Athey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Azide Sensitivity In Species Of Chlamydomonas And Carteria, Kim Michael Kobriger

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Ecological Study Of The Algal Potamoplankton Communities Upstream And Downstream From A Sanitary Landfill On Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois, Larry W. Coutant

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Ethnically Important Woody Plants Of East-Central Illinois, David Eric Brussell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Aquatic Plant Communities Of Vermilion County, Illinois, John A. Wiedman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Vegetation Study Of A Terrace Forest In Clark County, Illinois, Randy Warren Nyboer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Eutrophication In Wall Lake Barry County, Michigan, John J. Meany

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Coastal Plain Floristic Element In Michigan, Gary J. Pierce

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Morphology And Cytology Of Preussia Vulgare (Corda) Cain, Marcial Antonio Pastor-Corrales

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.