Hello, and welcome to CyberFlora! The latest addition to your electronic classroom. Only this curriculum goes outside the classroom (where you belong!), to explore the particulars and peculiars of the plant world, with Professor Tom Siccama leading the way. This course was historically called "Local Flora," back when geographic location meant something. Actually, if you are a plant, or trying to identify one, physical location (aka. the environment) still does mean a great deal. This course concerns itself with plants of the northeast, meaning Georgia to the Mississippi River, north to Canada.
    As decreed by Tom, the purpose of this information is to make you functionally literate with respect to the plant species of the northeast (woody and some herbaceous), meaning: 1) You can identify major native (and locally common exotic species) tree and shrub species on sight with their scientific name and common name; 2) You can say something about the species with respect to its range, special features, ecology, uses... etc.
                                                                                             - By Dave Gaillard (borrowing heavily from Tom Siccama)
On to Lecture 1!