Pressed Plants assignment,

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One response to “Pressed Plants assignment,”

1. 

   June 23, 2025

   Steph the TA

   Hi Joshua –

   I’ve never seen Parietaria before. That’s awesome!

   When you do presses in the future, try to include reproductive features if you can – even gathering a few maple samaras from off the ground would have sufficed – and if you can grab them off the tree, so much the better! It makes for a more complete submission. I’m not sure that would have been possible with the Fraxinus pennsylvanica – IIRC, it tends to hold its flowers pretty high, and you may not have been able to reach them. So… next time, if you can grab tree reproductive bits, that would be grand. This is okay. I think that maple must have been a seedling? It looks like there are roots, which you normally DON’T see on a voucher – pretty cool!

   A note on scientific names: We capitalize Genus but not species. You got it with the Acer rubrum. And on the author name: those are typically abbreviated. Your Parietaria pensylvanica is a perfect example. You don’t need to write out Linnaeus – L. is enough. He collected and described so much, L. is all we need to know who you’re talking about.

   Isn’t it weird that Parietaria pensylvanica has one “n” (pensylvanica) while Fraxinus pennsylvanica has two? You’re right in your spelling for both. Good for you – I’d have misspelled the species name on the Parietaria!

   Next time, if you can place your voucher specimens on a plain white background with the label next to the plant, that would be appreciated. It’s much easier to see details that way (and improves your camera’s focus).

   Good job!
   Steph

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