Contact Info

Christopher R. Hardy, Ph.D.
Curator of the Herbarium &
Professor
Department of Biology
Millersville University
288 Roddy Hall
50 E. Frederick St.
Millersville, PA 17551, USA
Phone: (717) 871-2312
Fax: (717) 872-3905
christopher.hardy[at]millersville.edu

Parksia articles

Moyer SL, CR Hardy. 2016. Botany of the Luceille Hagarman Reading Sculpture Garden. Parksia 5: 1-10.

....more from archive

Scholarships

Scholarships and other financial opportunities for students can be found here.

News & Events

Aug: The Herbarium's Nature Atlas accrued its 10,000th species on Friday, August 30, with an entry for a Malayan civet, Viverra tangalunga, an unusual relative of the cat family native to the Malayan Peninsula and nearby islands.

Jul: The Herbarium surpassed 23,000 specimens on July 13 with a specimen of Japanese stiltgrass, Microstegium vimineum, collected by Micaela Nieves (Plant Sciences '25) in Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve. With the cooperation of the Lancaster Conservancy, Micaela's thesis research seeks to document the flora of this Preserve that is popular with nature enthusiasts in the region. Her collection of Japanese stiltgrass is the first one to voucher the occurrence of this invasive species in the preserve.

Apr: Dr. Hardy presented a lecture on Forensic Botany at the Millersville Lioness Club (Apr 2).

Mar: Dr. Hardy will be lecturing on Forensic Botany at the Advanced Homicide Symposium of the Pennsylvania State Police (Mar 8, PSU Harrisburg).

Feb: Dr. Hardy will be speaking on "Herbaria & Forensic Botany" at the Lancaster County Garden Club (Feb 12).

Feb: Duncan Lynn (MU Plant Sciences '24) successively defended his honors thesis on the taxonomy and ethnobotany of taro in area markets. He has now accepted a job at Green Leaf Plants, a division of Aris Horticulture, Inc. Congraulations, Duncan! (Feb 12).

Jan: Dr. Hardy will be giving the talk "Case Studies in Forensic Botany" at the Biology Colloquium on Wednesday, Jan 31 (4 pm, Caputo 210).

Jan: Dr. Hardy will be sharing an overview of his recent forensic botany case work with the Elizabethtown Rotary Club on Monday, Jan 29 (6 pm).

Dec: David Modica ('23) successfully defended his honors thesis on the Allium green onion vegetable complex and will graduate this Winter. Congratulations David.

Oct: Dr. Hardy will be speaking about forensic botany in the Willow Valley Special Events series (Oct 19).

....more from archive

Herbarium Associates

What is a Herbarium Associate?

John R. Ambler, PhD
Botanist
James C. Parks Herbarium
Millersville University
Interests: PA Floristics, Plant ecology, Invasive species management.

Nazli W. Hardy, PhD, MBA
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Millersville University
Interests: Biodiversity informatics; Network security; Internet education.

Scott L. Martin^MU'91, PWS (Professional Wetland Scientist)
Senior Scientist
ARM Group LLC
Interests: Wetland delineation; Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Surveys; Biological Treasure Hunter

Howard J. Miller, Jr.
Viticulturist
James C. Parks Herbarium
Millersville University
Interests: Grape systematics; Viticultural science.

John R. Wallace, PhD
Professor of Biology
Millersville University
Interests: forensic use of algae in PMSI estimation; aquatic ecology; evolution.

Patrick J. Cooney, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Physics
Millersville University
Interests: Photography.

Jorge Mena-Alí , Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Franklin & Marshall College
Interests: Ecology and evolution of host-pathogen interactions; Portulacaceae.

Zel Stoltzfus
Artist, Scientific Illustrator
http://zellustration.squarespace.com/
Interests: Scientific illustration.

 

Media

Click here.

BIOL 325
Plant Systematics

(Fall 2019 Syllabus)

 

 

Taxon Data Sheet (pdf)

Sample Quiz 1 (pdf)

Lab Topics:
Lab 01 - Introduction & Basal Angiosperm Grade
Lab 02 - Monocots 1
Lab 03 - Basal Eudicots and Caryophyllids (intro photos-Powerpoint)
Lab 04 - Rosids 1
Lab 05 - Asterids 1
Lab 06 - Rosids 2 (addendum)
Lab 07 - Herbarium Specimen Mounting
Lab 08 - Rosids 3 & Asterids 2
Lab 09 - Monocots 2
Lab 10 - Asterids 3
Lab 11 - Pteridophytes sensu lato
Lab 12 - Monocots 3
Lab 13 - Gymnosperms (Save$$ and don't print this, Dr. Hardy will print these for you today)
Lab 14 - Final Lab Practical

Teaching Herbarium
links to specimen photos & more

 

Exam 1 Topics:
Topic 01 - Introduction to Plant Systematics (outline; PwrPt)
Topic 02 - The PA Flora (outline & supplement; PwrPt)
Topic 03 - The Code (outline; PwrPt revised; Jones & Luchsinger 1986)

• Families to know:
  *Basal Angiosperms - Nymphaeaceae, Magnoliaceae, Lauraceae
  *Monocots Part 1 - Alismataceae, Araceae, Liliaceae
  *Basal Eudicot Grade - Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae
  *Caryophyllid Eudicots - Cactaceae, Polygonaceae
  *Rosids Part 1 - Rosaceae, Fabaceae (=Leguminosae)
  *Asterids Part 1 - Lamiaceae (=Labiatae), Solanaceae
  

Sample Questions, Exam 1 (PDF)

Exam 2 Topics:
Topic 04 - History of Plant Systematics (outline; Powerpoint)
Topic 05 - Intro to Cladistic Analysis (outline; Powerpoint)

• Families to know:
  *Monocots Part 2 - Cyperaceae, Poaceae
  *Rosids Part 2 - Vitaceae, Cucurbitaceae
  *Asterids Part 2 - Asteraceae
  *Rosids Part 3 - Fagaceae, Juglandaceae

Cladistic Analysis Tutorial and its Key
Exam 2 Sample Questions and Key
More Cladogram and Phenogram Practice Problems and Key

Exam 3 Topics:
Topics 06, 07, and families below (ca. 50 points-worth) and all prior topics and families (ca. 25 points-worth)

Topic 06 - Uses of Cladograms (outline; Powerpoint)
Topic 07 - Molecular Systematics & Ethnobotany of Breadfruit (outline; Powerpoint; Zerega et al. 2005)

• Families to know:
  *Asterids Part 3 - Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), Ericaceae
  *Pteridophytes - Lycopodiaceae, Equisetaceae, Polypodiaceae s.l.
  *Monocots Part 3 - Arecaceae, Orchidaceae
  *Gymnosperms - Cycadaceae, Cupressaceae, Ginkgoaceae, Pinaceae, Zamiaceae

Practice Problems, Exam 3 (problems and key)

 

1. James C. Parks Herbarium (Millersville University)
2. Millersville Flora Project on NatureAtlas
3. Plant images at PlantSystematics.org
4. Examples of Nice Herbarium Specimens (here)