kweitemier's Identifications

Exploration of the Cratageous Columbiana from the Rosaceae Family

The Rosaceae family claims a diverse variety of angiosperm plants. Despite all these species differences, though, they all share a few common phenotypes that place them in the Rosaceae family. The species columbiana especially is set apart from the additional members of Rosaceae due to its morphological differences, and preferred habitat.
To begin, all the species in the Rosaceae family have certain qualities that place in this unit. These characteristics consist of the flowers normally having five petals, and the plants having bracteolate between the plants lobes. When the plants are born they will have petals on the calyx and when in the Rosaceae family they will be either deciduous or evergreen. Sometimes these plants are armed and they mostly have stipulate leaves. They are typically trees or shrubs.
The plant Cratageous columbiana separates itself from the rest of the Rosaceae family with key qualities. These include styles that normally number in 10 and stamens that number from 10-20. The major defining phenotype of this plant is their thorns that grow 4-7 centimeters in length. columbiana is also a woody shrub plant, and as a result has long thick roots and branches.
The key elements that most clearly differentiate the columbiana species from the others I collected are seen in variations. The major defining characteristic of the columbiana is it’s 4-7 cm thorns. Other armed plants typically have 1-2 cm. The Rosaceae plants that aren’t armed are diverse by the shape and complexities of their flowers. An example of this is the species triflorum, instead of flowers in clusters- such as the columbiana- it has bowl or vase shaped flowers. These are a just a few of the many morphological traits.
To continue, due to the fact plants in the Rosaceae family are angiosperms, they reproduce through pollination. To achieve reproduction, the flower needs certain reproductive organs. These include the pistil and stamen, which consist of many other smaller elements to create the whole. To begin the process of reproduction, angiosperms contain the sperm of a flower on the anther. This pollen grain then gets transferred to another flower, commonly by insects. The Rosaceae’s showy flowers draw them in and the pollen is transitioned from the insect to the stigma. From the stigma, the pollen grains then travel down the style to the ovary. A seed is then created in the ovule and is then introduced to the world through the fruits the Rosaceae Family bears.
Because of these characteristics, this plant is commonly found in warmer habitats. These habitats commonly are rocky areas with plenty of sun exposure and located on steep slopes. One of the many reasons columbiana thrives in this environment is because of its long woody roots. They penetrate through the rocky ground and are able to reach water; also by having woody limbs the plant can store water easier. The location I found Cratageous columbiana fitted the idealistic habitat for this species, and was located in Troy, Oregon.
To continue; the interesting adaptations the columbiana species has developed vs. the other Rosaceae species is unique. As previously stated, the columbiana has abnormally long thorns, and prefers dryer habitats. This greatly differs with the characteristics of the triflorum, which prefer moist habitats and has moderately short- though thick, roots. In all, the Cratageous columbiana is very diverse, and has notable and intriguing characteristics.
Refrences:
The Pacific North West Flora book
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/printouts/floweranatomy.shtml
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Angiosperm.html