The world around us contains a rich diversity of plants without which human beings and animals could not exist. Members of the plant kingdom exist in almost every environment on Earth: from the peaks of mountains, to frozen tundra, to waterless deserts and each plant has evolved and adapted specifically for the environment in which it lives.
In the Botany Main Lesson, the groupings of plants within the plant kingdom are explored through a study of plant taxonomy, by following evolutionary threads from primitive vascular systems, to the first seeds, and then the first flowers. Diversities of structure and function can be contemplated as the results of gradual change and adaptation through time. Plant specimens are collected and observed through life drawings and use of microscopes.
The flowering plants are a huge group, and it is not possible to adequately cover all of these plant families in the time available. The major Australian plant families are covered through an excursion to the Australian Botanical Gardens at Black Mountain. For the other flowering plants, small groups of students were required to do some research, and then find a recipe that was based either wholly (or mostly) on a single plant family. The students then prepared and cooked their recipe to share with the rest of the class. The dishes the students prepared were a spice cake (with spices from the basal angiosperm group of plants – peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg); a rice pudding (with rice, sugar, coconut, vanilla and banana from the monocots); a potato and tomato pie (from the Solanaceae family); an apricot and almond flan (from the rosaceae family); a blueberry iced tea (from the family Ericaceae) and the Italian drink chinnotto (with citrus from the rutaceae family).
