Families Flashcards
–Leaves
• Large; alternate; simple; long-petiolate; floating or emersed
–Inflorescence – long-peduncled solitary flowers
–Flowers
•Perfect, regular
–Sepals 4-many; distinct or basally connate
–Petals 8-many (0); distinct or basally connate
–Stamens numerous spirally arranged
–Carpels 5-many; style absent or short; stigmas distinct
–Fruit – spongy berry
–7 genera and about 50 species
–Widespread in tropical and temperate latitudes
–Perennial species
–Ovary position varies greatly between species
–Very little economic value
•Some grown in ponds or fountains.
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca4 Co∞ A∞ G∞
Nymphaceae
–Trees or shrubs
–Leaves
• Alternate; simple; stipulate
–Inflorescence – large; solitary flowers; perfect; regular
–Flowers
•Perfect, regular
–Tepals 3 several whorls
–Stamens many and distinct
–Carpels many; style 1 per carpel; ovaries superior
–Fruit – elongated aggregate of woody follicles, samaras, or berries
–7 - 12 genera and about 220 species
–Disjunct populations
•New world – US to Brazil
•Old world – Himalayas to Japan (Asia to Indies)
–Perennial species – small to large trees
–Fruits vary greatly – most common is aggregate follicles
–Extensively Planted for beauty and ornamentals
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca3(x) Co6(x) A∞ G∞
Magnoliaceae
–Forbs (Herbs), shrubs, or woody vines
–Leaves
• Alternate, opposite, or whorled; simple to several several times compound
–Inflorescence – various; determinate, indeterminate, or solitary
–Flowers
•Perfect (rarely imperfect); regular (sometimes irregular)
–Sepals 4 to many; distinct
–Petals 0 or 4-5 (sometimes many); distinct
–Stamens many (sometimes 5-10); distinct; spiraled
–Carpels 5-many (rarely 1-3); distinct; styles 1 per carpel, ovaries superior
–Fruit – cluster of achenes or follicles (rarely a berry or capsule)
–50 - 52 genera and about 2000 species
–Well represented in temperate zones and montane environments of the northern hemisphere
–Very diverse group
•Adaptations to pollination (main driver)
•Seed dispersal (secondary driver)
–Most are perennials
–Various members grown as ornamentals
•Some plants are poisonous to livestock
–Considered weeds by ranchers – sprayed to remove
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca4-∞ Co0 or 4-5 A∞ G3-∞
Ranunculaceae
–Forbs (herbs) or shrubs, usually succulent
–Leaves
• Alternate or opposite, (rarely whorled); simple; stipulate
–Inflorescence – mostly variously cymose
–Flowers
•Perfect, regular
–Hypanthium absent or sometimes well developed
–Sepals 4 or 5 (3-30); distinct
–Petals 4 or 5 (3-30) ; distinct or connate
–Stamens equal too or 2x as many as petals; distinct
–Carpels 4 or 5 (3-30); distinct or weakly connate at base
–Fruit – cluster of follicles (rarely a capsule)
–23 - 37 genera and about 900 – 1,400 species
–Cosmopolitan distribution
•Excepts Australia and Western Pacific islands
–Common in arid and semi-arid regions
–Very easily recognizable families
•All have succulent leaves and stems
–Extensively Planted for beauty and ornamentals
•Some extracts are used as folk medicines
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca4-5 Co4-5 A4-10 G4-5
Crassulaceae
–Shrubs; sometimes armed with spines or prickles
–Leaves
• Alternate, simple; estipulate; petioled; palmate; often palmately veined
–Inflorescence – racemes, solitary flowers, or auxiliary clusters
–Flowers – perfect; regular
•Hypanthium well developed, often petaloid
–Sepals 4-5; distinct or basally connate
–Petals 0 or 4-5; distinct
–Stamens 4-5; distinct; alternate with petals
–Carpels 2; connate; ovaries inferior
–Fruit - berry
–1 genus and about 150 species
–Well represented in north temperate regions
–Usually divided into 2 groups
•Currants – not armed with spines
•Gooseberries – usually covered in spines
–Economic value
•Edible fruits are grown commercially
•Some specie grown as ornamental
•Alternate host for fungus that causes pine blister rust
–Kills valuable lumber trees
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca4-5 Co4-5 A4-5 G2
Grosslariaceae
–Forbs (herbs), shrubs, stem succulent, trees
•Often with milky sap, sometime climbing or twining
–Leaves
• Alternate or opposite, (whorled); simple (palmate); stipulate (estipulate)
–Inflorescence – various; determinate or indeterminate
–Flowers
•Imperfect; regular or naked
–Sepals 0-8, most commonly 5; distinct or ±connate
–Petals 0 (4-8); distinct or basally connate
–Stamens 1-many, distinct or variously connate
–Carpels 3 (1-20); connate; ovaries superior
–Fruit – schizocarpic capsule (drupe, berry, legume-like pod, or samara
–310 - 320 genera and about 7500 species
–Pantropical family
•Sparsely represented in temperate areas
–Annual and perennial
•Succulents to forbs to tall trees
–Produce various chemicals
•Latex, waxes, oils, toxic alkaloids
–Some species have economic importance
•Ornamentals, caster oil
•Some species very detrimental to farming and ranching
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca4-5 (0) Co0 (4-5) A1-∞ or 0 G0 or 3
Euphorbiaceae
–Forbs (herbs) or shrubs; rarely trees or woody vines
–Leaves
• Alternate; simple (sometimes divided); stipulate
–Inflorescence – solitary flowers, racemes, panicles, cymes
–Flowers
•Perfect; regular or irregular, sometimes (cleistogamous)
–Sepals 5; distinct
–Petals 5; distinct, lower most often spurred
–Stamens 5, distinct, connate around ovary
–Carpels 3; connate; ovary superior
–Fruit – capsule, berry, nut, or samara
–16 – 20 genera over 800 species
–Cosmopolitan species
•Temperate regions dominated by herbaceous species
–Viola members show two types of flower
•Chasmogamous – showy flowers, springtime, pollinators
•Cleistogamous – small, no petals, never open, summertime, self-pollinating
–Other than genus Viola not much economic importance
•Ornamentals, floral scents, tropical species roots = medicine
•Basic floral formula:
–Caz5 Coz5 A5 G3
Violaceae
–Shrubs or Trees (sometimes dwarfed)
–Leaves
•Alternate; simple; stipulate
–Inflorescence = spicate or racemose catkins for both staminate and pistillate flowers
–Flowers
•Imperfect; subtended by bracts
–Sepals are absent or wholly connate and reduced to a cupular disk
–Petals are absent
–Stamens 2-many, distinct or ± connate
–Carpels 2-4; connate; ovary superior; styles distinct
–Fruit – capsule with comose seeds
–2 genera and about 350 species
•Salix (willow) and Populus (aspens, popular, cottonwood)
–Mostly prominent in north temperate regions
•A few are found in tropics and south temperate regions
–Absent in Australian regions
–All trees and shrubs with imperfect flowers
–Little economic importance
•Wood is soft and mainly used for pulp
•Some used for shade trees but are short lived and fragile
•Supply wildlife habitat along streams
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca0 or x Co0 A2-∞ or G2-4 (imperfect flowers)
Salicaceae
–Forbs, shrubs, woody vines, or trees
–Leaves
•Alternate (rarely opposite); pinnate or bipinnate; less frequent simple or palmate; stipulate (very rarely estipulate)
–Inflorescence – solitary or clustered auxiliary flowers, racemes, spikes, heads, or umbels
–Flowers
•Perfect (rarely imperfect), regular to very irregular
–Hypanthium present or absent
–Sepals 5; connate
–Petals 5 (0-1); distinct or connate in some genera with regular flowers, or lower 2 petals with bases distract and blades connate
–Stamens 1-manyl; distinct or ± connate; often 10 and all connate or 0 connate and 1 distinct
–Carpels 1 (very rarely 2-16); ovary superior
–690 – 800 genera and about 14,000 – 20,000 species
•Third largest family of flowering plants
–Ancient family (Cretaceous period)
–Deserts to rainforest; tropics to polar regions
–3 major subfamilies
•Mimosoideae and Caesalpinioideae (tropic/sub-tropic)
• Papilionoideae (tropic and temperate)
–Economically very important
•Second only to poaceae
•Numerous important food sources (lentil, soy bean, garbanzo bean)
•Important forage crops (alfalfa, clover)
•Maintain soil fertility (nitrogen fixers)
•Some seeds have been used as beads
Basic Floral Formula:
Ca5 Co5 A10-∞ G1
Fabaceae
–Forbs, shrubs, or trees
–Leaves
•Alternate (opposite); simple to pinnate or palmate (bipinnate or tripinnate); stipulate (estipulate)
–Inflorescence – various; determinate or indeterminate
–Flowers – perfect (imperfect); regular (irregular)
•Hypanthium usually well developed
–Sepals 5 (4-many); connate; sometimes subtended by bractlets
–Petals 5 (4-many or rarely absent); distinct
–Stamens (1-) 10-many; distinct; when numerous develops centripetally
–Carpels 1-many; distinct or 2-5; connate; ovaries superior
–Fruit – drupe, achene, follicle, or pome, (capsule), or aggregate of achenes, drupelets, or follicles
–100 genera and about 3,000 species
–World wide distribution; predominate in north temperate region
–Divided into 4-6 subfamilies
•Differentiated mainly by fruit type
–4 subfamilies occur in North America
–Economic value
•Edible fruits are grown commercially
•Many species grown as ornamental
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca5 Co5 A10-∞ G2-5
•3 other floral formulas in book
Rosaceae
–Forbs (herbs)
–Leaves
•Alternate, orpposite or all basal; simple (rarely bi or triternate; estipulate (rarely stipulate)
–Inflorescence = various, determinate or indeterminate, often paniculiform
–Flowers
•Perfect (rarely imperfect), regular (rarely irregular)
•Hypanthium present often well developed (rarely absent)
–Sepals 5 (4-7)
–Petals 5 (2-7) (0), distinct
–Stamens 5-10, (4) (12, 14), distinct
–Carpels 2 (3-5); often fused only at base
–Fruit – capsule or cluster of follicles
–33 genera and about 540 species
–Widespread; greatest concentration in N. hemisphere
–Perennial species mostly
–Vegetative parts similar across family but great variation in floral parts
–Very little economic value
•Rarely common but usually present in spring floras
–Used as ornamentals mostly in rock gardens
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca5 Co5 A5 or 10 G2-3
Saxifragaceae
–Forbs (Herbs), shrubs, (rarely trees), milky colored sap
–Leaves
• Alternate, opposite, (whorled); simple to pinnately compound
–Inflorescence – various; determinate, indeterminate, or solitary
–Flowers
•Perfect; irregular; regular or isobilateral (4 petals in 2 dissimilar sets)
–Sepals 2-3; disitnct; many genera falls as flower opens
–Petals 4, 6, or 8, (12-16), (0); distinct
–Stamens 4-12; distinct; spirally attached
–Carpels 2-many; Styles 1-many
–34 - 41 genera and about 600 species
–Well mostly a temperate zone species
•Greatest diversity in Mediterranean climates
–Two distinct subfamilies
•Papaveroideae and Fumarioideae
–Sap color – creamy white, pale yellow, blood red
–Some species have huge economic importance
•Ornamentals, production of painkillers, poppyseed oil
•Basic floral formula:
–Ca2-4 Co4-8 or 2+2 A∞ or 4+2 G2-∞
Papaveraceae
