Students who have had a previous dendrology course are encouraged to expand their knowledge beyond the required list, and also sharpen their knowledge by tutoring others in the class. A copy of this manual will be available for further reference, along with several other reference materials that provide more species information. The various references do not always agree on the plant taxonomy, so where scientific names are in use other than those in Harlow or Gleason for species on our list, these are included in parentheses in our list. Especially for those without a previous dendrology course, it is helpful to begin learning the scientific names of required species before coming to the summer session . As the course progresses, you will be expected to correctly identify numbered plants on the list as in-place, living plants in any reasonable form young to mature, healthy to damaged, etc.
Credit is given for each correct portion of the nomenclature.
In addition to distinguishing among required species, you should learn characteristics well enough to recognize that a plant is not on the required list, and therefore one for you to learn in the future. While in the field, you are encouraged to extend your plant identification beyond the list. A hand-lens is desirable for checking fine details of plants. Also, bring any plant identification books you already use or are familiar with. A dendrology self-learning trail is set up near the campus for use on your own time.