****Biology Activities****

KUDZU:

~Introduced from Asia
~Used as a ground cover
~Invasive (overgrows other plants)
Good:
~Pretty-green and purple flowers
~Cows eat it (you can eat it)
~Photosynthesis->O2 and CO2 produced
~Ground cover that prevents erosion
~Grows Fast
Bad:
~Long living
~Chokes other plants
~Damages human structures
    >Asphalt
    >Light Poles
    >Buildings
    >Fences

"There's so much of this fast growing vine in the Southeastern U.S., you might think it was a native plant. Actually, it took a lot of hard work to help kudzu spread so widely. Now that it covers over seven million acres of the deep south, there are a lot of people working hard to get rid of it! But kudzu is used in ways which might surprise you..." -http://www.alabamatv.org/kudzu 

We learned how to make keys to help identify numerous plants. We started by using water bottles for practice and later make a key for different trees and plants. Dichotomous Key:

A. Bottle larger than 13 oz.                                                        
    B. Star shaped bottom                                                                              
        C. Non Color Cap >Deer Park                
      C. Colored Cap >Dasani                              
   B. Non star shaped bottom                          
        D. Pop Top >Seal Test Skim Milk
      D. Screw Top
            E. Expiration Date > Crystal
          E. Mp Expiration Date > Arctic Glacier
A. Bottle less than 13 oz.
    F. Plastic Cap > Pure American
   F. Non Plastic Cap >Mt. Valley Spring

A. Entire
    B. Tendrils
        C. Thorns >Greenbrier
        C. No Thorns >Morning Glory
    B. No Tendrils
        D. Pinnately Veined
            E. Flower >Japanese Honey Suckle  
        D. Palmately Veined >English Ivy
            E. No Flowers >Vinca
A. Not Entire
    B. Lobed
        C. Forked Tendril >Grape-Cultivated
        C. Non Forked Tendril >Maypop-Passion Flower
    B. Not Lobed >Wild Grape

Vines Key:

A. Simple
    B. Tendrils
        C. 3 Lobes >Maypop
        C. 4 Lobes >Grape (Cultivated)
    B. No Tendrils
        D. Opposite
            E. Flowers >Japanese Honey Suckle
            E. No Flowers >Vinca
        D. Alternate
            F. 1 Main Apex >Morning Glory
            F. 3 Apexes >English Ivy
A. Compound
       G. 3 Leaflets
            H. Entire
                I. Hairy Stem >Kudzu
                I. Not Hairy Stem >Poison Ivy
            H. Not Entire
                J. Thorns >Blackberry
                J. No Thorns
                    K. Rounded Teeth > Common Cinquefoil (False Strawberry) 
                    K. Pointed Teeth >Wild Strawberry
       G. Not 3 Leaflets
                L. Palmate Leaflets
                    M. Tendrils > Everlasting (perennial pea) 
                    M. No Tendrils >Virginia Creeper
                L. Not Palmate
                    N. 9 Leaflets >Wild Rose
                    N. Not 9 Leaflets >Wisteria

Juan and I working on our Dichotomous Key.

Growth Of 3 Kudzu Vines in 4 Days

Monday-There were 3 groups. Each group chose 3 Kudzu vines found on a small field. Tuesday through Thursday, we went out to measure the vines and determine their growth in centimeters. Each day we would had a flag to mark the length of where it grew. 

We also cut out letters of our name and paper clipped them to Kudzu Leaflets. Then after a day on the leaf we brought them in and took the letter off. We placed the leaf in boiled water for 2 minutes and then put the leaf in boiling alcohol. The alcohol took away a lot of the leafs color so that it was a light light greenish-yellow color. Then we put the leaf in the tray and soaked it in iodine. The iodine turned the leaf a dark brown color and there was a letter print in the leaflet. 

               
    Blackberry         Common Cinquefoil          English Ivy               Everlasting             Grape
                               (False Strawberry)                                             (Perennial)          (cultivated)

                            
    Greenbrier        Japanese Honey Suckle          Kudzu          Maypop (Passion Fl)     Morning Glory

                            
    Poison Ivy                    Vinca                Virginia Creeper         Wild Grape           Wild Rose   

             
Wild Strawberry              Wisteria

The last day we tried some Kudzu Iced Tea with Mint and ate some crackers with Kudzu Jelly. Then we made baskets out of Kudzu vines. 

Making a Kudzu Basket:
1. Take 5 pieces of vine approximately 24 inches each, and one approximately 16 inches long.
2. Lay 3 of the long vinces parallel.
3. Lay the 3 others across the first 3, with the shortest one in the middle. Move the short piece so that it is even on one side with the long pieces.
4. Take another piece of thing, long stron vine. Weave the 6 segments together, going over the top three (as a group), and under the bottom three about 3 times. Make sure the vines are securely fastened together.
5. Do not cut this vine as it will be used for weaving.
6. Spread the vines so they are evenly spaced like spokes of a wheel.
7. Use the small vine to start weaving over and under wach spine. -Pull Tightly
8. CAUTION: The short extension of the original half segment becomes part of the spine next to it. Weave them together as one. This gives an uneven number of spines for weaving.
9. When you get to the end of one vine add another- make sure they overlap by at least on spine so that the basket won't fall apart.
10. After making the bottom of the basket as large as desired, fold over and crease all spines upward.
11. Continue weaving up the sides. But, don't go up more than on third the distance of the spine.
12. Finish the basket by bending a spine past the adjacent spine and pushing it through the space beside the third spine. Then tuck the skipped spine beside the forth spine etc. Continue all the way around the basket.
13. Tucking spines may require the use of pliers or screwdrivers.
14. Cut any excess spine from the bottom of the basket.
15. Add a handle by cutting a piece of twisted or braided vine that is twice as long as the handle you want.
16.Push (using tools) the end down one spine and up the next, forming a "U" to secure it. Repeat on the other side.

Kudzu Germination Under Various Treatments Within a Week:
We planted Kudzu seeds under various treatments to test their growth. We planted normal Kudzu seeds (control), Kudzu seeds soaked in Acid, and Kudzu seeds that had been scored. There were six small plastic pots and each one held soil and 5 kudzu seeds. On Friday we checked their growth and recorded the data. We also checked to see how the plants from last weeks class was doing.