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Average Course Rating

We all know what a plant is- they're usually green, you can eat some of them, some have pretty flowers, and some of them make good medicine. But where do these properties come from and how did they arise? Why do we find them in such large numbers? This course focuses on various aspects of botany through the lens of plant evolution. Understanding and critically assessing contemporary and traditional botanical applications, from cosmetics to urban development, requires foundations in plant ecology, evolution physiology, and biochemistry. The class will incorporate lectures, discussions, and hands-on laboratory activities, and students should expect to construct phylogenetic trees, dissect flowers, identify the plants in and around JHU Homewood campus, and calculate the plant biodiversity of their kitchen pantries.